Welcome Home
by Whinkx
Summary: After Bill was defeated in Weirdmageddon and escaped the mind of Stan Pines, he has no where to go to. No where, especially not the Mystery shack, after all the trouble he had caused in Gravity Falls only three months ago. Bill knows he is all alone in his new, restricting body. Until... he addresses his state to an old friend in hopes of returning back to his true form. Billford.
1. All alone

**Welcome everyone! I was inspired to write this fic after reading "Bonded" and "Bill Cipher is back" By LittleAmberAmethyst and 2021FanGirl. This fic has shorter chapters towards the beginning, however they get longer as the story progresses. This story is filled with angst and suspense, and later on, perhaps a bit of romance. I hope you enjoy! **

_ After Bill was "erased from existence", he found himself trapped inside the mind of Stanley pines. Eventually, after weeks of planning, he managed to finally escape, and get back into the world. But Bill knew after the Weirdmageddon that HE had caused, he had absolutely no where to go, not even the Mystery Shack. Now, with very limited power, he has found himself in the form of a "fleshbag", a body form he had once made fun of._

_On the streets._

_ All alone._

There Bill stood, at a nearby bench not too far from the supermarket. _What had he become? What came over him? How could he lose everything so... easily? _He sat down on the bench and sighed in frustration, thinking over everything that had happened this past summer. Once he was summoned by Gideon Gleeful, he was sure that he was going to make a point. And boy, did he. Unfortunately for him, the point had to break and fail. Be of little to no use, similar to a broken pencil tip.

Bill smirked whenever he looked around town at his nearby surroundings. Damage from Weirdmageddon swarmed Gravity Falls. The buildings being remodeled here and there, the businesses getting repairs all around town. It was tragic damage all around. At this point, he had no idea _what _to do and _where _to go.

_Should I even bother continuing on? _He thought to himself. _I've lost power, I've lost my immortal life. I've lost everything. _Bill ran a hand through his short, blonde hair and sighed. Maybe he could find somewhere to stay while he figured himself out a bit more. But, he knew absolutely no one in this town would take him in- not even the Pines family. Bill shook that thought out of his head and glared down at the short grass below him.

_You're Bill Cipher! _He thought to himself, as if it would be somewhat motivating or beneficial to him._ You don't need any fleshbags help!_ You_ can handle your new life on you're own! _He tried in hope, even though there was _none. _

Bill looked over at the concrete sidewalk near to his left. He didn't want to give up so easily. He_ would_ find a way to become powerful again. He _swore_ on it.

**This chapter is very short. expect chapters to be longer in the future. I just wanted to get the setting and Bill's state of mind out of the way. **


	2. Donut shop

**Here is chapter 2 of Welcome Home! **

Bill had been walking around Gravity Falls all afternoon. He watched the rain both begin _and _end. _Twice._ He had all the time in the world to see what very few businesses_ hadn't_ been destroyed after Weirdmageddon. He looked over across the street and saw a donut shop nearby. Bill knew that fleshbags has to eat to avoid death, so Bill crossed the street, not bothering to look both ways, and started towards the front door.

The parking lot was empty for all but 2 vehicles. A red truck, and a grey car. Bill opened the transparent glass door and peeked inside the brightly colored room, the room blinding him with bright lights that illuminated above him.

To his left, he saw a middle-aged man in a green T-shirt and short brown hair. He observed the man as he had sipped some coffee out of a mug, downing half of it at once. Bill broke eye contact as the man caught him observing him. Bill shut the door behind him, making a small bell attached to the door ring. He exclaimed in alarm and put fists up in front of him in the act of self defense, afraid of what the bell would do and if it would hurt him.

Behind him, Bill heard feminine laughter. Behind the counter stood a young woman, drying a clear glass with a towel. He turned and made eye contact with the laughing woman. She set the glass down on the counter and put her hands beside the register.

"Is this your first time seeing a doorbell," She started . "Or are you from some sort of other dimension in the universe?" The lady chuckled at her own taunt.

Bill glared at the worker. "Look lady, I don't know what kind of magic you run in this place, but I lost all of mine just last month. I would prefer to avoid being taunted by the fleshbags of this small town. Alright?" His fists were planted on the counter. The worker just stared at him. It wasn't long until she started bursting out laughing again.

"Well, you sure didn't lose your magic sense of humor! What'll it be?" She asked Bill, in an attempt to get his order. Bill just raised an eyebrow. He stated the lady down.

"Do you know who I am?" Bill asked in a rather serious tone, his hands clenching into fists, still down on the counter.

The woman just smiled. "You're a _goofball._ I'm Karen. "She greeted, holding out her hand to Bill for a handshake. He hesitated, but returned the gesture, still confused on why this lady was being so welcoming. So kind. Karen smiled, and walked towards the kitchen. Bill watched her leave, and return with a plate in hand. She set a chocolate coated donut with rainbow sprinkles on the counter, and slid the plate across the counter to Bill. "Take this. On the house!" She said, smiling.

Bill looked down at the donut. It looked delicious, but Karen could be easily lying to him behind her smiles and friendly attitude. Bill had a feeling the treat was a trap. As if it were to poison him as his guard was down as a fleshbag. Bill looked up at Karen. "Is it poisoned?' He asked, hoping for a legitimate answer.

Karen burst into laughter, until she realized the serious look on his face. "No, silly. it's a donut!" She took back the plate and revealed a butter knife from under the counter. Bill cautiously stepped back, and put his hands on front of him, certain she would chuck the knife his way. Instead, she cut the donut into 4 pieces and popped one into her mouth. She downed the quarter of the donut and looked over at Bill, who was examining her, looking for side effects of a negative reaction. "You see? Perfectly harmless!" she assured, passing the plate back to Bill across the counter. He held the plate in his hands eventually, and walked towards a booth near a large window. Karen watched him go to his seat as she grabbed another cup behind her to dry.

As Bill sat down, he put his hands under his chin, elbows on the table. He looked down once more at the donut. Multiple times Bill had wondered if it was all a trap. _Who gives free donuts?_ Bill asked himself. He sighed as he felt his stomach growl. He _knew_ that he had to eat it. Not eating would eventually cause him to perish, and while that didn't seem too bad to him, he decided to down a piece of the donut.

He waited hesitantly, for nearly ten minutes of feeling perfectly fine, and downed another piece. He didn't feel any side effects of any kind, and decided to finish the sweet treat. If he was being honest with himself, that treat complimented his taste buds. It was sweet and creamy, with small crunchy bits on top. He sat up and looked at his plate once more. The plate was cleared, except for a bit of frosting and leftover sprinkles. He sat up and walked out the door, taking the plate with him. He wasn't sure whether or not to return it, but he didn't care. It was the only item he had.

**So, here is chapter 2 of "Welcome home"! The next chapter will focus more on the story and it's plot. I'm open for suggestions to add into my story, so feel free to write a review about whatever you want! Well, I'll try to get another chapter up soon. **


	3. Strange Stan

**How am I already writing a chapter 3? I've written the other chapters in the past couple hours, I hope I don't have a problem...**

**Let's get into chapter 3!**

Bill felt decent, to his surprise. He was mainly surprised that the lady at the donuts shop hadn't poisoned him with the free treat. Maybe she was new in town? But who would want to move here, especially after Wierdmageddon and all the damage that was caused? He had been walking back to the same bench he had been previously sitting on earlier in the day. What was he supposed to do, now?

Meanwhile, back at the Mystery shack, Stan pines was sitting on his mini couch, watching a game show on the TV and snickering at how the TV host tripped on her shoelaces. He had closed the gift shop in the morning, not bothering to dress into his work attire. He was still recovering from his memory being wiped. and while he was doing much better, he felt especially strange today for reasons he couldn't quite explain.

Ford walked into the living room with a tray in hand. On the tray were stacked pancakes and a bottle of maple syrup. Stan looked up at his brother as he walked towards him and nodded his head to his brother as a gestured 'Thank you'. Ford copied the action back, and picked up a magazine from off the floor after setting down the tray on Stan's armrest.

Stan took the tray and put it down on his lap, turning down the TV a bit. Ford looked up. "Are you feeling any better, Stanley?" He asked his twin.

Stan nodded his head, as he cut into his pancakes. "I closed the shop today," Stan started. "Figured it'd be easier to have less on my mind for the day and focus on rememberin' stuff."

Ford set the magazine down on the couch and stared at his brother, slightly annoyed. "Stanley, I've been suggesting that action for the past week." He pointed out, folding his arms.

Stan looked up at his brother and grunted. "Less talkin', more remote-givin'." He commanded, just barely extending his arms out in a poor attempt to reach the remote. Ford rolled his eyes and handed Stan the remote.

Ford left the living room and went over to the kitchen instead. There sat Dipper and Mabel, flinging rubber bands at each other from across the table. Mabel hit Dipper in the eye with her rubber band. She laughed, and Dipper glared with a smirk on his face. "Oh, you're on!" He challenged.

"Bring it!" Mabel shot back, showing off her braces as she chased her brother out of the kitchen, the twins disappearing through the front door. Ford smiled at the actions. He felt grateful that he came back to Gravity Falls after 30 years in other dimensions. He was glad he wasn't too late to see his great niece and nephew grow up. He cherished the time with the young twins whenever possible. They had just turned 13 a few months ago, so he had to make the best of the time he still had.

_I'm glad they're safe. Who knows what I would have done had Bill harmed my family. _Ford thought to himself. He was just relieved it was all over. It was all _finally _over. He could finally lay back a bit and spend some quality time with his family. That's when Ford had an idea. _I'll take everyone out to town tomorrow, maybe help Stan remember Lazy Susan. Or Tad Strange. Or maybe even Bud gleeful. _Ford still wasn't sure if Stan had come across any of them since his brainwash. Maybe it would be good for him to find some people he once knew.

Dipper ran back inside after Mabel. The war was coming to an end. Stan walked into the kitchen and began cheering on the children to begin a battle to the death.

Ford sighed. His family was crazier than ever since Bill had been stopped.

Stan yawned and scratched his back. "I think I'm going to get some sleep before the spinoff of Ducktectve begins." he announced. Dipper and Mabel nodded. The young twins ran off towards the living room Grunkle Stan waved goodnight, and started up the stairs towards his room. Ford stopped him once Stan was on the second floor and grabbed his wrist. Stan groaned, showing his annoyance, and turned around. "What's the deal, pointdexter?" He asked his brother.

Ford looked at Stan and raised an eyebrow, noting that he had questions. "Stanley, I've noticed you have been twisting and turning all uncomfortable when you fall asleep on the couch ever since Weirdmageddon, Until last night, where you finally looked more at peace. is everything alright?" He asked Stan, folding his arms.

Stan scratched his head for a moment. "Uh, I don't know.., I kept having these weird dreams about Bill trying to escape my head, or something.." He said, holding onto his forehead.

Ford thought for a moment. No logical explanations came to him. "You may just be in a fright that he will return." Ford tried to assure.

"Hm, maybe." Stanley responded. "Goodnight pointdexter." he said, walking down the hallway.

Ford shook his head, unsure of what to do - or if there was any way he could help his brother.

**That's it for this chapter! My plan is to have Ford and Bill bump into each other on the Pines trip to town in the next chapter... Thanks for bothering to read! New chapter within the next few days, I hope.**


	4. Unwanted appearance

**Here's chapter 4 of "Welcome Home".**

As the Pines family got ready for their day in town, Mabel was deciding on which sweater to wear. "Butterfly sweater, bunny sweater, sprinkle sweater, or Shooting star sweater?"

Out of Mabel Pines's MANY sweaters, her shooting star sweater was always her favorite. it reminded her of her very first day of summer in Gravity Falls. She remembered what she hoped to have been her 'epic summer romance', and when it all turned out to be a bunch of gnomes dressing as a human to trick Mabel and take her as their queen. She shivered at the thought had Dipper not come to save her. She was grateful he had found that Journal after all.

Meanwhile, as Dipper brushed his hair and listened to the Weekly top 40, He started thinking about the author, his Great Uncle Ford, and how long it just have taken to write those journals. Dipper was still upset that Bill had burned the journals, all three journals, right in front of his eyes. He was glad Bill was gone and relieved that he no longer existed. He just wished he still has the journals.

Luckily, there was almost nothing in those journals that Stanford didn't already know, and he considered re-writing the information and keeping it somewhere safe, somewhere no one would find it. He felt like that may not help him in the present, but possibly in the future when he becomes more forgetful and less capable of adventure.

Ford came downstairs and made some toast. He opened the fridge and got out the jar of strawberry jam. The Pines family had a special liking to strawberry jam, over any other flavor. Dipper was first to come downstairs after Ford, hoping he could get a good conversation going. Mornings were usually the easiest to speak with his Grunkle, so he always enjoyed making the best of it.

"Good morning, Dipper." Ford greeted, turning his head to look at his Great nephew.

Dipper waved as he cleared his throat. " Morning, Grunkle Ford. Umm... " He started.

Stanford raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Dipper? Is there something wrong?"

Dipper shook his head. "No, I'm okay. I was just wondering how you have been, since Weirdmageddon and Grunkle Stan's memory being wiped."

Ford sighed in a soft tone, but got himself to smile, reassuring his nephew as he turned to match Dippers height, and put a hand on Dippers shoulder. "I've been fine, Dipper. Thank you." Dipper nodded at his Grunkles response. "Bill is gone, Stan is getting better, and the town is being fixed as we speak. Things will be back to normal soon enough." Ford assured and stood up as the toast came out of the toaster.

"Are you hungry?" Ford asked Dipper. Dipper nodded, and sat down at the table. Stanford Spread some butter, as well as some strawberry jam, onto both of the toast slices. He put one in front of Dipper and the other on the table as he put in another couple of pieces for Stan and Mabel.

Later that morning, the Pines got inside the car. Stan offered to drive, but Ford declined the offer. "You stay in the passengers side, I'll drive us." Stanley grunted but obeyed, it was Stanford's car, after all.

Bill woke up on the very bench he had spent the majority of his time on yesterday. _What do fleshbags do all day? _Bill wanted to find something fun to do. He looked around. There he saw the donut shop, a gas station, and a mall. "Hmm.." Bill expressed, and smirked.

* * *

As Dipper and Mabel rode in the back seat of Fords car, Grunkle Stan sat in the passenger seat reading a magazine about "drawing a customers attention easily". The car ride from The Mystery Shack to town wasn't long, on average it would take about ten minutes or less. Dipper had his arm near the window, leaning, his head atop of his hand.

Mabel kicked her feet joyfully as she chanted, "Family fun! Family Fun!", Grunkle Stan couldn't help but snicker at Dippers facial expressions, clearly annoyed with his sisters loud action. She started tapping her hands on her lap, making a somewhat annoying drumming noise. Dipper sighed and looked at his sister. Mabel laughed when Stan copied her behavior. Ford turned to look at his brother as he cracked a smile. He quickly turned back, keeping his eyes on the road.

As Dipper tried to block out the noise, he thought about how easily Stan got his memories back. Mabel's scrapbooking turned out to be useful, after all. Dipper had his doubts about it at first, but he also had doubts about Stan when his Grunkle attempted to bring back the author after 30 long years. Dipper felt foolish to believe his Grunkle was a bad man that day, but Ford assured him that he was only being cautious with his surroundings, and that Dipper was just listening to his head.

Mabel's annoying behavior was disrupted when Dipper shot her a glare. Mabel smiled. "What's wrong, bro-bro?" She asked, not looking away from her brother. She scooted closer to him until the seatbelt wouldn't budge any further. She poked Dippers arm multiple times, causing him to become even more bothered. "Am I annoying you?" She asked, innocently. Mabel knew the answer was yes, but she liked to see Dipper's reaction to her obvious questions.

Dipper moved her hand away from his arm. "Yes, Mabel. You can get very annoying." He stated.

Mabel laughed, and punched him in the arm in a playful manner, still causing him to flinch at the sudden movement and cover his arm. "Only when I want to be!" She defended, still laughing.

The pines reached the same donut shop Bill had stopped by the other day. Ford parked the car in an available parking space. Mabel unbuckled her seatbelt once the car had stopped and squealed, causing Dipper to rush out of the vehicle.

Stan set his magazine down on the floor of the passenger seat. Ford looked up at his brother when Stan had gotten out of the car and made a slight scowl. He picked up the magazine from the floor and placed it atop the seat, instead. Stan shut the car door after making a joke about how easily Dipper can get annoyed. Dipper had rolled his eyes. _He sure remembers his unamusing humor._ He thought, and he too shut the door of the back seat.

As Ford shut off the car, the Pines started towards the door. Stan held the door for his niece and nephew, and looked over at his brother. "Ladies first." He said, and cracked up at his own joke. Ford just sighed and looked at his brother, amused at the fact that he hadn't matured much since they were kids.

Karen happened to be working another shift since yesterday. The Pine's walked up to the counter, as Everyone looked up at the menu options. Mabel shrieked in excitement when she saw a unicorn designed donut.

After a bit of thinking, everyone had ordered what they would like, and they sat down at a booth in the corner. Mabel of course, took one of two window seats, and Dipper took the other. Mabel was convinced the window seats would be calling her name whenever she sat in a chair or booth of any kind.

Dipper saw a cloud in the shape of a triangle in the sky, and began choking on his first bite of donut. He slammed his fist to the table, trying to make the decision of letting it sink down his throat or spit it back up onto his plate.

"Bit off more than you can chew?" Stan played, patting Dipper on the back to assist with his problem. He hit Dippers back a couple times and then hit him in the back of the head jokingky.

Mabel laughed at his brother once he took a sip of water to help himself. Ford couldn't help but laugh along, and Dipper just looked at the window with his head down, trying to hide his smile of his own stupidity. "Now _this _is family bonding time." Mabel commented, and took a sip of milk. Dipper looked back up at the sky to see no clouds nearby at the moment. He figured his mind was just playing games with him. Bill was dead... wasn't he? Dipper decided not to think much of it for the time being, but felt like it would be best to share later with Great Uncle Ford later.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill found himself at a tree, not far from "His bench". He tried climbing the tree, but his body just wasn't strong enough to lift himself up. He felt weak at this moment, starting to believe he wouldn't survive long in his new, physical form. He put his hands in his hair, frustrated with his lack of skills, and kicked the tree. Seconds later, a circular object hit him on the top of his head, as if it had fallen from the sky. He looked at the object, realizing it was an apple.

He picked up the apple and examined it. The apple was red, with a sweet smell to it. Bill looked straight up, and noticed multiple apples hanging above his head. _Problem solved!_ He thought. Cautiously, he took his first bite of the fallen apple. He heard a saying once that the first bite of an apple tastes the best. And this just happened to be his first bite of an apple. Ever.

After a few minutes of kicking the tree, and failing to shake it, Bill managed to get a few more sweet apples to fall from the tree. He smirked, rethinking his survival skills. He gathered the apples into his hands, one by one, and brought them back over to the bench. He laughed approvingly with the discovery, but scolded himself for ending up in this situation of survival in the first place.

He sat down on the bench once again, when he noticed a green-looking piece of paper flowing in the wind. _Money. _he thought to himself. He jumped up and followed the dollar bill as it flew in the wind. He chased it down for multiple minutes, not showing any signs of giving up. At this point, he would give up anything if it meant staying alive. Then Bill remembered and slowed his pace. He had _nothing._ He glared and caught up to the dollar bill, reaching for it, as he ran into a light pole. He held his head, and continued running, trying not to fall from dizziness.

* * *

The Pines eventually finished their treats. Mabel had to use the restroom after drinking half a bottle of 'Mabel juice' this morning, and Dipper, too, found the need to go. Stan stayed behind inside the resturaunt to wait for his Neice and Nephew. Ford went outside to turn on his car. He looked down at his keys, trying to fin the right button. He scolded himself for not testing out all the buttons on the car beforehand, it _had _been thiry years, after all. Unintentionally, Ford opened the trunk. He sighed, and walked over to the trunk to close it. It made a loud shutting noise, and he looked back down at the buttons.

Bill turned a corner sharply, and without noticing, lost track of the floating money and ran straight into Stanford.

Ford fell to the ground, groaning in pain, and looked behind him. He noticed a man with short, blonde hair before him, frightened. Ford got onto his knees and looked at the

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Bill said, looking down at the ground, not daring to make eye contact with his former friend.

Ford looked over at the man and rose up, helping Bill to his feet. Bill still looked at the ground. Ford sighed. "Don't be sorry, I wasn't paying attention to my surroundings. Are you alright?" He asked the man. Bill only nodded, not budging at all. Ford looked sideways into the other mans eyes, and Bill tried to close them. Ford raised an eyebrow, confused on why the man was so shy. "My name is Stanford." He greeted, holding out his hand. Bill looked at the hand, then back down at his feet. Ford was confused. "Are you okay? What is your name?" He tried.

Bill panicked. "Uh..." He started. "Umm.." He continued. "Well, uhm.." Fear was plastered all over his face. "I can't." Bill whispered.

Ford could only nod. "I respect your privacy. I'm sorry. Have a good day!" He added, trying to lighten the mood. He looked back at his keys, and finally found the correct button to turn on the car. the car's lights flashed, indicating that the engine was being prepared for use.

Ford looked over inside the restaurant, and saw Stan run outside to grab the dollar bill flying in the wind. He ran back inside and pocketed the dollar, hoping it hadn't belonged to anyone nearby. Bill sighed, and his hands went into his hair in frustration. He let them fall to his sides. He looked over at Ford, knowing that he wasn't looking at him. Don't... Bill told himself. _You don't need anyone's help. _He punched himself in the arm. _Don't call his name. _Bill demanded to himself in his head. Unfortunately, Bill had not listened to himself.

"Sixer!" Bill called as Ford walked over to the front seat of his car. Ford froze in place when he heard his nickname, 'sixer', being called. He only knew one person, and one person only, who had ever called him that. He wasn't sure if he could even refer to that person as a "person".

His head dropped, and he shoved his keys into his pocket, shutting off the car. He didn't know whether to be more angry or frightened. "Who.. _are you?" _He asked the man, turning to look behind him. Bill's eyes widened. He covered his mouth with his hands and walked back slowly, knocking over a sign and bumping into yet another light pole. His back responded negatively, but he didn't find this pain funny at all. What had he just done?

Ford followed Bill, getting up close to him. His breathing was heavy, his facial expressions showing that he wanted answers. And he wanted them

For a moment Ford had no clue what to begin with, other than, "BILL?". Bill laughed awkwardly, knowing he had just dug his own grave right there and then. He could only nod at his name being called by the man who he had once befriended, then stabbed in the back.a Ford put his hands on Bills shoulders and shook him, his face filling with frustration. "We all thought you were _dead!_ How are you still alive? What did you do? _What _do you _want _from me or my family?"

Bill looked up at the man. Ford stared into his golden eyes, demanding answers. "I-" Was all Bill could say. He glared and pushed Ford off of him. "Don't lay your filthy hands on me, sixer!" He said, him too gaining frustration. Ford glared and folded his arms, giving Bill enough space to be more open, but close enough that he couldn't run. Bill tried to form a sentence, but knew this may be his only chance at surviving. "I need your help, sixer.." Bill said, putting his left hand on his right shoulder. He looked down, mad at himself for asking someone like Stanford for help. But for some odd reason, a feeling built up inside of him, saying that he needed to try.

Ford scoffed in disbelief. "And _why _would you ever need _my _help? You're a fool if you think i'm going to trust you again, Bill. You've caused enough harm to me, to my family, and to the town!" Ford pointed to the buildings to their side being rebuilt.

Bill glared. "I can explain later, you have to trust me, sixer. I _need _your help!"

Ford looked down at the ground and shook his head. "I can't _trust _you, Bill. You've broken my trust _multiple _times in the past. You can figure out your own problems! Without _me!_" He glared at Bill, and turned around.

Bill wore a shocked look on his face, but couldn't blame Stanford for not trusting him after all he had done in the past. "Sixer, I'm sorry, okay? Please!" He begged.

Ford shook his head. "_No, Bill. _Goodbye." He started. Then added, "And if you have _any _intention of harming my family, _I will _stop you before you can lay a finger on any of them!" He sighed heavily, and stormed into the donut shop. Bill watched him enter the donut shop.

Bill knew that calling Stanford's name was a bad idea, _why _hadn't he listened to himself. Bill put his hands in his hair, frusturated, and kicked the light pole with his foot multiple times. The pain felt good, it felt good to get his emotions out and take it out on public property. He put his hands in his pockets and walked away, his head filling with nothing but hate of himself _and _Ford. He screamed at himself inside his head, and began running to a corner of the next street. He sat down in a dark, abandoned alley, and hoped nothing but death upon him. He was hopeless. He couldn't survive on his own. He _knew _that.

* * *

The Pines walked out of the donut shop, and Stanley motioned the kids to get in the car. When Dipper and Mabel had shut their car doors, Stanley leaned over by Ford and put his hand in front of his mouth, so that the kids wouldn't see his conversation. "Hey, Pointdexter. What was all that about?" He looked at his brother with a raised eyebrow. Ford tried to think of an excuse to not alarm Stanley.

"A young man tried to steal my wallet." He admitted. Ford knew he couldn't bluff well at all, so he dashed to drivers side of his car.

Stan shrugged and laughed. "Let's hope you can survive this generation, Stanford."

At this point... Bill sure wouldn't.

**WOAH! TONS of DRAMA in this chapter! Bill ran into Ford, and an emotional fight went down! Will Ford change his mind any time soon? Maybe a bit of remorse for leaving Bill without even listening to his story? Hmm...**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know if you like the action-packed stuff! And again, any reccommendations are appreciated! New chapter soon!**


	5. Stress

**I hope the drama in the last scene was somewhat entertaining. I like expressing emotions when i'm writing, so I hope that is amusing to someone.**

**I was writing about Dipper and Mabel still at the shack AFTER Weirdmageddon, and I'm SO SORRY if that caused confusion. Just to clarify, Mabel and Dipper have a one-month thanksgiving break, so they had gone back to California for school for a couple months and returned in Early November to celebrate thanksgiving with their break at the Shack. I'm sorry for leaving that out, it won't happen again.**

**Here is chapter 5 of "Welcome Home"!**

The ride home from town was peaceful, thanks to Stan buying Mabel a coloring book and Dipper a "Who dun it" book. He remembered that Dipper always enjoyed those types of books, so the siblings thanked Grunkle Stan for the gifts. Stan was still reading his magazine, so everyone was occupied at the time.

Ford, however, was occupied very differently. His encounter with Bill Cipher, the demon who had taken advantage of Ford's trust in the past, was now in a human form, _somewhat_. Two yellow eyes with black slits for pupils, Blonde Hair, Pale skin, and a voice that didn't have an echo-ey ring to it. It just didn't make sense. If Stan had his memory wiped in order to erase Bill from existence, how was he still here? Twice Ford had even considered Bill to have, at some possibility, been put into a new life. He shook the thought away, as this new form was a grown man, not a newborn.

Ford wanted to keep this silent from Mabel and Dipper. And knew that he _needed_ to keep it from Stan until he had all, or at least, most, memories back. Had he overreacted, demanding ten questions at once from Bill? He admitted he should have been a bit more patient with him, but he didn't feel any regret for his actions of anger. He knew his reaction to seeing Bill, a new form of Bill, matched the reaction any other person like Ford would have given.

Everyone piled out of the car when they got back to the Mystery shack. Mabel ran over to Waddles when the door to the gift shop opened. Stan went to the living room, as Ford made his way down to the basement. Dipper felt like following Fords footsteps, and in this situation, literally.

Ford unlocked the vending machine and went downstairs to his lab, and Dipper crept right behind him, not making a sound. Ford opened the elevator and walked inside. He raised an eyebrow, watching his nephew looking at him. inside

"Dipper?" Ford questioned, wondering what his nephew was intending to do.

Dipper looked up at his uncle. "Great uncle Ford, I was hoping I could watch you work today." He walked towards the elevator, but Ford put his hand out, preventing Dipper form entering the elevator.

"I don't have much of anything going on that would be of interest to you today," Ford started, looking at Dipper. "But," He added. "If I find that I need any help with my research, I will be sure to include you." Ford said with a smile, and rubbed the top of Dippers hat before pressing the button to the elevator.

Dipped frowned. "But, Great Uncle Ford-" Dipper tried, but it was of no use. Ford had already closed the elevator, leading the way down to the lab.

Dipper sighed, and turned around. He went back up the stairs and closed the vending machine door. He had wished Ford would include him in more of his scientific activities. Mabel looked up, noticing her brothers facial expression. She stood up and Waddles moved to the living room. "What's wrong, bro-bro?" She asked.

Dipper just shrugged. "I _really_ wish Great uncle Ford would take part in experiments a bit less dangerous, so I could watch him work without him being worried about my safety."

Mabel looked at Dipper, and she shrugged as well. "You know Grunkle Ford liked his privacy sometimes. Maybe he's just stressed."

Dipper shook his head, confused. "Why would he be stressed? Things are going much better than they were since Bill was erased from existence." He pointed out. He looked at Mabel for a moment and noticed she didn't seem to have another idea. His sister just sighed, agreeing with her brothers point. To lighten the mood, Mabel took Dippers hat from atop his head and laughed. Dipper extended his arms in attempt to grab it, but she pulled away just in the nick of time, still laughing. Dipper smirked and shook his head. "I'm gonna get you, Mabel!" He exclaimed with a chuckle, and ran after his sister to get his hat back.

As Ford was downstairs in the lab, he found himself pacing back and fourth across the floor, trying to think of an explanation to Bill being in a human form, and not in a dead one. Hours had passed, it was now dark outside. Mabel and Dipper had already been put to bed for the night. He looked through the, fortunately saved, pages of his journals Stan had copied before he had brought Ford back using the portal after thirty years.

He read every piece of information about Bill, and human forms, and anything else he found that was close enough to the subject of what he was looking for. There was very little information that Ford didn't know that was in his journals, being that he was the one who had written them in the first place.

He glared down at the papers and grunted in frustration at the fact that he had obtained_ no_ new information of any kind on this subject for what seemed like forever. Ford groaned in anger, knowing that he _needed_ to figure this out, but had _no source _of information-

Except Bill himself.

_Should I even risk it? Where could he be? _Ford asked himself. _This is a horrible idea. I can't just go up to Bill for this type of information, could I? Surely he's still enraged about the ending events of Weirdmaggeddon. What if he went after Stanley? Or the kids? I can't risk it... _

_I should go look for him, at least look. I need something, anything. Some crumb of information from him. I need to find him. I'll find him, and leave. Yes, that sounds like a reasonable plan. _

Then Ford remembered- Bill rarely did something that wouldn't benefit himself.

Stanley was sitting out on the porch with a cup of hot chocolate, watching the trees as the leaves and branches swayed slowly but surely in the dark sky and the light effect of the wind. He sighed and put a small smile at his face, sinking down on the sofa and getting into a pleasant and comfortable position that he was sure he may just fall asleep in. _Finally, a bit of comfort after a long day..._

Suddenly, Ford burst through the back door causing the doorknob to crash into the wall, and Stan sat up in alarm at the sound, watching Ford leave the shack in a rush as he practically ran towards his car. He grabbed the driver's seat handle as Stan called his name in a mix of annoyance and confusion. "Pointdexter, what's the deal?"

Ford tried to ignore his brother, as he didn't want to share the information of his plan. Stan had been through enough recently, it wouldn't be the best idea to suddenly open up about encountering a demon in the middle of the night. Stan glared and crushed the Pitt soda can in his hand slightly. "Hey!" Stan shouted, causing Ford to look his direction.

"It's nothing to worry about, Stanley! And even if it _was _something to be a _bit _worried about, it is none of your concern, anyway." He stated, as he sat down into the car and started the engine with his keys.

Stan rose up from the couch and groaned at the sudden pain in his back as he rushed across the grass towards his brother. "It's the middle of the night!" He exclaimed, grabbing hold of the car door just before Ford could shut it.

Ford looked at his brother for a moment and sighed as he clutched the car wheel in his hands. "I... I need some more writing supplies. For my... research.." Ford explained, hoping to sound convincing enough. With the fact that Ford was terrible at bluffing, he moved Stan's hand with a flick of his finger, and shut the car door so his brother wouldn't be able to tell that he was lying before it was too late. He had a pretty good idea that Stanley already knew what he said had been a lie, but it was a chance he _needed_ to take. He quickly backed the car out of the driveway and started on the road towards town.

Stan grunted and clenched his fists together, being left in the driveway like that by his brother. _He has 10 years worth of supplies down in that lab.._. He shook his head and chose to ignore the fact of his brother leaving with so little context. It probably _wasn't _any of his concern, so it wasn't really his place to walk in on Stanfords work like this. Stan walked back up to the porch and grabbed his Pitt soda, walking back inside and turning off the outside light. He yawned, and felt it was best to head off to bed for the night.

* * *

Bill had left the dark alley after his anger breakdown he day before, so he was back near the apple tree, laying on the bench, trying to sleep. He had very little experience with sleep, being that he didn't need to eat, drink, _or _sleep in this original, Triangular form. He tried laying on his arms, on his stomach, on the grass, on his side, and even sitting up. It hadn't worked well. Maybe he was too stressed to sleep? Maybe that was it. Bill didn't know.

He took a few bites of an apple even though he didn't feel like eating at this moment. He let the apple core fall onto the ground, and he laid back on his side, his head resting on his arms once again, using his hands as a makeshift pillow. Finally, he felt more at peace. There was no noise around him, it was silent, other than the tree branches swaying with the wind. If the tree wasn't there nearby him, Bill may have thought it was _too quiet_. He felt relaxed, and let his eyes shut. He was at peace...

...Suddenly, a bright light shined on his eyelids, making him flinch in annoyance. He tried to turn around to escape it, but it was no use. The light was shining off the white paint of the building that the bench was up against. He groaned at the sudden brightness and opened his eyes to see what that annoying light could be. He heard an engine to his left and turned around once more. Bill sat up, rubbing his eyes with his hands, and looked at the vehicle in confusion. He tried to identify something _other_ than the car's headlights, when a figure came out of the vehicle. Bill raised an eyebrow. It was dark, and the figure was unidentified. The figure walked towards him at a neutral pace. As the figure walked towards him, the car lights helped identify the figure of a man.

It was Stanford.

Bill groaned in annoyance and looked up at Ford. He glared at the human standing before him. "Have you come to interrogate me further,_ Sixer?_" Bill asked, flinching slightly at the car lights that were still as bright as the sun, still blinding him.

Ford sighed and shook his head, putting his hands in his coat pockets. "Not exactly." He began.

Bill raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Then why are you here? You obviously don't want to help me out here, so what do you want?" Bill asked and continued with a short, audible sigh. "I have _nothing_. I'm _powerless_, Stanford. Just leave me here to _die _and go home." He commanded with a icy cold glare. It hurt Bill to admit such pity things about himself. He looked down at the grass shining bright against the light and put a hand through his hair.

Ford sighed, knowing he would regret his decision in the morning...

"You're coming with me." He said, his voice firm.

Bill looked up at the man, confused as one of his eyebrows raised._ Why'd he change his mind so easily since yesterday afternoon_? Bill's face lit up for a second at the news, but stopped himself as his facial expression went back to a glare. "No, no, no..." Bill started. He laughed, showing Ford he wasn't falling for some sort of trick. "What's the catch here, Sixer?" Bill asked, staring blankly at Ford, not looking away, even though the car lights were figuratively killing him. "_Answer me!_" Bill demanded, standing up with his fists clenched and taking a step towards the other man.

Ford folded his arms, not backing away from Bill. "You're coming to the shack, and _then _I interrogate you further."

Bill laughed in a rather sarcastic manner. "And _why_ would I _ever _go with someone like_ you_?" Bill questioned.

Ford glared at the demon. "I thought of a lot of reasons why _not _bring you to the shack. But if you_ don't_ come with me, I'll be stuck exactly where I am on my research, and _you'll _end up dying in the next couple of weeks." Ford informed, the glare not leaving his face.

Bill rolled his eyes. "What if I don't _want_ to survive,_ Fordsy?_ What if I _want _to stay here alone? What if I _want _to stay here, shrivel up, and _die?_" He asked Ford, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford scoffed at the other's behavior. "Get in the car or don't, Bill. Hurry up and make your decision before I change my mind." He added with clenched teeth, turning around and starting back towards the car.

Bill watched Ford walk back over to his car and open the door, sitting down inside. He shut the car door, and put his hands on the wheel. Ford turned on the radio to a soft pitch, and looked up outside to see Bill still standing there with his hands on his hips, not daring to move. Ford shrugged at the behavior, beginning to back out and begin driving.

Bill's eyes widened at the others actions. _Oh, he was being serious._ He thought to himself. Bill grunted, and ran up to the car to stop Ford before he got too far away for him to catch up. The car wasn't far from him, as it was just stopping to begin moving. He had to move quickly. Bill already knew his decision was pitiful, but Ford was right. He couldn't survive for long on his own. And he hated that. He went up to the car, stomping his feet across the grass like a child and Bill swung open the door to the passengers seat. Ford looked over at Bill, concerned that he would be sitting two feet away from him, as he would be driving.

Ford shook his head at Bill, as he shut the passenger seat door. Bill quickly noticed Fords suspicious look on his face. Bill rolled his eyes. "I'm _powerless, _Sixer. I can't kill you or anything." He stated.

Ford still shook his head. "My eyes will be on the road, I can't risk you sitting that close while I'm driving. You could very likely, at any time, take hold of the wheel and crash us straight into a tree, or-" He continued, but was stopped when Bill sighed obnoxiously in frustration.

"Sixer, you're overthinking this." Bill said, glaring at the other man.

Ford shook his head and shrugged his shoulders. "I don't care, Bill. Just... Go to the back seat." He commanded, pointing to the back of the car with his index finger. Bill folded his arms, but obeyed, glaring at the human.

On the ride home Bill was in the back seat. He had finally gotten a bit of sleep on the way as Ford drove back to the Mystery shack. Ford looked in the drivers mirror, making sure Bill wasn't causing trouble, and noticed him sleeping rather at peace. Even though Ford's bitter enemy was in the back seat, he was still a former friend. _Friend. _Just the thought of the word rung in his head, causing him to hold on to the wheel with a bit of force, clenching his teeth slightly. Regardless of the thought, Ford drove a bit slower and rolled his eyes at his own actions. If he was Stanley, he knew that he wouldn't care whether or not Bill was sleeping. But Ford was not that kind of man. He knew he wouldn't be able to forgive Bill, of course, but it didn't hurt to do something nice while the demon wasn't conscious.

**There is chapter 5! I think Ford cared a little more than I had intended during the end, so i'll have to make him more stern in the next chapter. I want this story to be longer, and to be a project for a good couple of months at least. And that means that I don't want to start any types of "Feelings" yet. Next chapter will be written within the next few days!**


	6. Questions with Confusing Answers

**I hope you guys liked the last chapter, I didn't intend to make the car scene super "fluffy", I'm really trying to take this story at a slow pace. Ford isn't a horrible person, I'm not trying to make him sound like a bad person, because we all know Ford is awesome! I'm just going to make him... more stern for this chapter. I''ll make sure to add some humor, of course! **

**Anyway, here is chapter 6 of "Welcome Home"!**

It was nearing 2:00 in the morning when Ford had arrived back at the shack. He parked the car, and turned it off quickly so the obnoxious lights wouldn't wake anyone up, or draw attention. Ford shut the door to the car and looked throught he back seat window. Bill looked stressed, his facial expressions changing, as he was still sleeping. Ford just knocked on the window from the outside, loud enough to wake Bill without contact.

Sure enough, Bill stretched his arms and legs, and opened his eyes. He looked around the car, sleepily, then jumped sideways, backing away from Ford, Bill still in the inside of the car, and scrambled to unbuckle his seatbelt.

Ford just rolled his eyes at the demon's unnecessary reaction. He motioned at Bill to follow him, putting one of six fingers on his lips, signaling to be quiet. Bill shook his head. He wanted to stay inside the car. Ford motioned again, and Bill shook his head a second time, folding his arms. Ford glared, and opened the back door to the car. He looked at Bill, obviously annoyed. "You're making this much harder than it needs to be, come on." Ford commented in a stern manner.

Bill just glared in response. "Don't think you have control over me, Sixer." Bill said in hopes of making his point. Still, he eventually made his way out of the vehicle.

Ford opened the gift shop, Bill following behind him, his arms still folded in annoyance. As Ford crept over to the vending machine, Bill stopped to look at the lightswitch. Out of curiosity, he flipped the switch, turning the lights on. Fold turned around and quickly shut off the light. He looked at Bill to explain his reason.

"Everyone is asleep, and no one knows you're here. As far as they are concerned, you're still dead." Ford admitted, and walked back over to the vending machine.

Bill smirked, and flipped the light back on. Ford turned around again and glared. Bill kept his smirk and turned off the light. Ford typed in the code to the vending machine. He turned around, glaring at Bill as he flipped the switch on and off. Bill laughed. "On, off, On, off, On, off, on, off, on..." He continued, only flipping the switch to disturb Ford.

Ford walked back over to the light switch, and turned it off. "Off." Ford commanded.

After nearly 10 minutes of refusal, Bill went down to the lab. Luckily, there were only two buttons in the elevator, otherwise Bill surely would have pressed them all, just to occupy time and annoy Ford further. Stanford was already having second thoughts about taking Bill into his house, as if he had almost forgotten how powerful he was just months ago. The elevator went down, and both men refused to look at each other. Out of annoyance, anger, or because of the past? Neither of them knew.

When the elevator door opened, Bill looked around the room. He ran straight to a chair once he saw it, and jumped atop of it. Unfortunately, it was a chair with wheels, and he went falling over onto the cold, hard ground. Ford couldn't help but snicker as he walked out of the elevator. Bill turned to him and glared. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, sixer." He said, and added, "I'm sure I'm not the first one to fall in a chair. I'm sure you come close to having a heart attack whenever you fall." Bill said, standing up.

Ford folded his arms, and stared at Bill, unamused. "I'm not the one who jumps into my chair." He defended.

Bill smirked. "You're right sixer. It wouldn't take long to break if you ever did _that."_ He watched the humans facial expressions of annoyance and anger, which only caused Bill to laugh. Ford glared at Bill, walking towards the demon with his fists clenched.

"Listen to me, Bill," Ford started. "If I had a choice, you wouldn't be welcome inside this house. I'm not sure I even want you going out of the lab." He stated.

Bill folded his arms at this and glared at the man. "You _do_ have a choice, Sixer. Like I said, you should have just left me in town."

Ford adjusted his glasses and shook his head. "I want you to understand that the only reason you're here is for my research purposes."

"So, are you going to ask me questions or _not?_" Bill asked, getting impatient.

Ford nodded his head at the question and took a step back. He pointed at the chair that was on the ground. "Sit down." He commanded. Bill picked up the spinny-chair, and put it back up on its wheels. He sat down on the office chair and crossed his legs, putting his hands on the arms of the chair. Ford leaned on a control panel and folded his arms. He cleared his throat and looked at the demon. "How did you get here? I thought you were dead! We got rid of you, how are you still alive, what do you still want? What kind of power do you still hold onto?" Ford asked many questions at once as more came into his head.

Bill put out his hand with his eyes widened. "Woah, woah, Stanford. Slow down!" Bill rolled his eyes. "Curious as ever." He added. Ford just glared. "First of all," Bill began, "I don't know _how _I turned human. But what I _do _know is..." Bill stopped, considering if he should give away his information.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the pause. "Go on.." He encouraged.

Bill sighed, shooting a cold glare towards the scientist. "After _YOU_ and your fleshbag brother tricked me by switching clothes, trying to erase me from existence, I didn't _die. _I was..." Bill stopped again. Ford raised an eyebrow at the second pause. Bill opened his mouth slowly, "I was _trapped." _He informed, scoffing at the event he was practically being forced to admit to.

Ford tilted his head slightly. "What does that mean? Where were you trapped, and for how long?"

Bill's eyes got big once more and he pointed a finger. "PATIENCE, old man!" He commanded, raising his voice severely.

Ford narrowed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. "Bill Cipher, keep it down. Do you _honestly_ wish to risk waking up someone in this house? What do you assume would happen _then_?"

Bill rolled his eyes at the question, but continued with his facts. "I was trapped inside of Stanley's mind. I couldn't get out for weeks. And don't ask me _how_ I got out, because I _don't know._" Ford nodded slowly, then put his hands to his sides, trying to find out a few decent questions to bring up.

"Okay, but what is it that you _want _now that you're like this?" Ford questioned.

Bill could only shrug. Honestly, he didn't _know_ exactly what he wanted. "All I want is to get back to how I was before, back in my beautiful triangular shape, back with my _powers_, and back to how I used to be.

Ford shook his head at the wishes. "You can't do that." He commented.

Bill rose up from the office chair. "And _why not?_ Is there a _reason _I shouldn't be free, to get things exactly the way they used to be?" He asked, glaring.

Ford returned the glare, and took a step closer to Bill, clearly annoyed by the senseless question. "_YES,_ BILL! There are MANY different reasons why you should_ never_ be allowed power by anyone _or_ anything _again!_ Weirdmageddon was bad enough, and you lying to me in the past, betraying my trust was enough for me to know that you'll _never_ change." He stated bluntly, without a hint of regret.

Bill scoffed at the remark. "Well you're not the nicest person either, Sixer! After you ditched me in town the other day, you didn't even listen to anything I had to say!"

Ford laughed sarcastically, rolling his eyes. "Really?_ I_ didn't listen?_ You_ had nothing that you seemed to have a strong desire to bring up, you just stood there, shocked!_ Maybe_ if you had brought something I wanted to know, I would have been a _bit_ more patient!"

Bill growled and extended his arms, shoving Ford backwards, causing the man to stumble backwards. Stanford hit his back onto the control panel, and groaned in pain. He shot a glare towards Bill, and felt the urge to push back at the demon. However, he figured it would be unwise to get into a fight with Bill, because Ford had no idea what kind sort of power he could still possess. Ford glared at Bill. "You can't deny the truth, Cipher." He commented.

Bill folded his arms. "Just shut it!" He exclaimed in annoyance.

Ford looked at Bill and sighed. "Well," He began, "What magic do you have left?"

Bill glared at the man. "Why should I tell you?" He questioned, raising his voice.

Ford shushed him and continued, "Do you really want me to answer that question, Bill?" The demon just grunted, and held out his hands. He tried to squeeze all the power that he could into the palms of his hands. He made a noise, clearly trying to obtain some power. Eventually, he ran out of strength and fell back into the chair, breathing heavily to catch his breath. Ford sighed at the attempt. "I suppose that answers one question." He muttered, looking away.

Bill groaned. "See, sixer? I'm powerless! I can't do _anything! _I'm just a stupid fleshbag now!" He wailed with a pout.

Ford could only nod. "It's for your own good. You've caused enough trouble in the past, who knows what you could have done hundreds of years ago!"

Bill just laughed. "Oh Sixer, you don't want to know! Don't even get me _started_ on-" He began, but stopped when Ford interrupted his sentence.

"I'm sure whatever you did was horrible, I don't want to get into anything like that at this time." Ford stated, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill smirked, amused at how _easily_ he could annoy the man, now knowing that he didn't want to hear about his past whatsoever. Ford walked to the other side of the room and wrote something down on a piece of College-ruled paper with a pen. Bill raised an eyebrow, and stared at the pen, sitting up in the chair and trying to read what the human was writing down. "What'cha got there, sixer?" He asked.

Ford glanced over for a second, then back at his paper. "That is none of your concern." He commented. Bill opened his mouth in an offended manner and put his hand on his heart, jokingly. "Sixer, I'm truly _offended_!" Bill stated, trying to hold back his laugh. He let a snicker through, and Ford just rolled his eyes.

Ford left the room for a moment, and Bill stood up again. He examined the room, looking around for something interesting to him. He looked through a couple folders, and let out a yawn. He smacked himself for yawning, and hated the fact that sleep was important for him now. He looked around the room and saw some spare blankets in the room where the portal was once active. There were two different rooms inside the basement, but he knew Ford would be back any moment. Bill went into the room and grabbed a couple blankets, one blanket serving as a pillow. He lay the blankets onto the floor neatly, and removed his shoes. He walked over to the door and closed himself in, hoping to be locked in, never to come out. Then, he wouldn't have to socialize, or give away facts that could help him in the future to Ford. Bill would rather_ die_ than stay at the shack. Still, he walked over to the blankets acting in the role of a sleeping bag, and slipped inside. He put his hands on his head and looked up at the roof. It was dark and quiet. Soon enough, Bill drifted off to sleep.

Ford returned down to the basement with some water and some new folders. He set the folders on his desk, and noticed the room was dead quiet. He put his hands on the desk and turned his head. He put his hands in his hair in a stressed manner and looked around the room frantically, the demon no where in sight. _I lost him already? He can't be trusted. I can't leave him alone for one minute without him disappearing._

Ford sighed and rolled his eyes. "Bill?" He called out, looking around the room. "Bill, come out before I find you!" He commanded with a glare, and adjusted his glasses. Stanford looked into the room that led to the portal, and looked inside through the small window. Bill had drifted off to sleep atop and under a variety of blankets. Ford sighed in minor relief that the demon had not escaped. Stanford already knew that he would have more questions in the morning, and he couldn't afford to have the demon run loose before then.

Ford remembered that the rest of the Pines had no clue that Bill was inside the shack as they slept. So just to be on the safe side, Ford opened the door and placed the water bottle near the wall in case the man were to wake up in the night. The door squeaked slightly and Ford cringed. He carefully shut the door, trying not to make more noise than necessary, and locked the door to keep Bill inside. He couldn't afford to have Bill running upstairs when he was still sleeping. He didn't know how long he could keep this secret from his family, or if he would, but he did _not _want Bill making the choices for him.

Ford turned to his right, walking into the small room in the basement with a bed and dresser. It was normally used by him if needed, or if he was ever too tired to head upstairs. Ford knew he would have a bit of trouble sleeping, but what else could he expect after bringing a _dream demon_ who had affected half his life into his home? He could only hope the morning would be better.

**So, there is chapter 6! Feel free to leave a comment on what I should do for the next chapter. Sorry for the long wait! Update within the next few days! I'll need to think about what I should do, so any ideas are appreciated :3 Thanks for... reading? As I said, update soon!**


	7. Not Trapped, Confined

I** hope I didn't explain things too quickly in the last chapter, let me know if I need to work on adding more detail when I'm writing! It took me some thought last night about what I should do for this chapter, I might change my mind as I write this for you guys...**

**Anyway, here's chapter 7 of "Welcome Home"!**

The sun was still rising when Bill woke up from suddenly moving around too much while sleeping. He sat up and rubbed his eyes to see better. The room was still dark, and he wasn't sure if he had gotten any sleep. He felt decently rested, but he couldn't be sure. He looked to his left to see a clock on the wall, reading 5:32 in the morning. He nodded his head, accepting the amount of sleep he _had _gotten.

Bill rose up and felt dizzy from rising too fast. He got onto his knees and put his hands on his head, as if it would help him. He glared at the ground and stood up again. His hair was sticking up a bit, but he didn't care. He looked around the room once more to see that nothing had changed except for a bottle of water by the door. Bill stared at the door and out it's small window. He saw light, but no motion. _Maybe I can look for something that can get me out of this fleshy body. _He thought to himself, as he approached the door.

He grasped the doorknob of the door with his hand, and put his other hand on his wrist as he began to twist the doorknob to the right, slowly and quietly. He didn't care if he woke up the whole household with being loud and obnoxious, but Bill was uncertain of where Ford was at the time, and couldn't afford to be caught snooping when he had been at the shack for less than 24 hours.

As he had finished twisting the doorknob, he pulled it forward, only for it to budge. Bill raised an eyebrow and tried once more. Again, it only budged. Bill yanked on the handle once again, only to realize the door was locked. He pulled on the knob and punched the door, frustrated that he had fallen for this foolish trap so quickly.

Bill growled, very unamused with his fate. He looked through he glass and considered punching the window. Bill smacked his hand on the door a couple of times as a warning and got no response. Little did Bill know, or care, that Ford was still asleep, he continued to smack the door. Still with no response, the this turned into pounds. He pounded on the door with his right fist clenched. He yelled gibberish as he clenched his other fist into a ball. He used both hands to draw attention to the room. He heard no response and started screaming in annoyance and frustration.

As Ford was in a room near Bill's in the basement, his dreams were disturbed by a raucous in the other room. Ford sat up and ran his hands through his hair, only to realize that the noise was coming from Bill in the other room. Ford's half-opened eyes shot open, realizing that the family could wake up, wondering what was going on. Ford reached for the nightstand and, without bothering to turn on the lamp, grabbed his glasses and put them on.

He grasped his sheets and threw them off as he rushed to the door. He turned back to grab the key from off the nightstand and returned back near his door. He opened it and turned to the left to unlock the room that Bill had slept in the night before. Ford yawned and mumbled something under his breath.

Bill saw the human from the window and glared at the man. He folded his arms and stepped back to allow the door space to open. He looked at Ford who gave him a look of irritation. Ford just sighed and looked back at the demon. "Bill, it's _five _in the _morning._" He commented.

Bill kept his glare and responded to the man with his fists clenched once again. "You kept me trapped in here! You were going to lock me up, weren't you, sixer?" He asked, not bothering to hear a response.

Ford shook his head and rubbed his forehead, trying to get himself to focus on being awake. "No Bill, I wasn't going to trap you in here-" He stared, but Bill shook his head.

"Don't lie to me, Stanford. You don't want me here, I don't want you here." He commented.

Ford rolled his eyes and dropped his hands to his sides. "This is _my _house. I would let you leave, if you were trustworthy. And you're certainly not trustworthy, not by a long shot."

Bill glared. "This isn't about trust." He said with an eye roll. "You want me trapped. You're keeping me trapped until I die, huh, sixer?" He asked.

Ford shook his head once again. "You're not trapped, Bill." He started. "You're just temporarily confined." He said.

Bill groaned. "Stop using your fancy-pants words and tell me why you _really_ want me locked up." He commanded.

Ford folded his arms, not against the fact of explaining his reasoning. "As I said before, Bill, no one knows you're here but me. I couldn't let you just wander off in the shack. The trust thing comes in to play here as well."

**There is the end of Chapter 7! I might not get a new chapter for a couple of days, I'm writing a one-shot for a user who requested it. I hope that's okay! Feel free to comment ideas for the next chapter before I start it!**


	8. Bland, Boring, new Beginning?

**I'M SORRY For the long wait! I was thinking of what to do for this chapter for a few days and began to forma bit of writers block, until I finally got an idea after seeing a comment posted recently.**

**Thank you KanaraFoox for the idea! I plan to have that happen in the next chapter, it's a really great idea and I think it would fit perfectly with how I'm hoping this story will go. Your comment meant a lot to me. (:**

**Anyway, here is chapter 8! (Many more to come...)**

Bill tried to avoid Ford all morning, refusing to speak to him, refusing to listen to him, and even refusing to make eye contact with the human. Bill didn't know _why _he was so upset, but he was hating himself for giving in to coming to the shack instead of trying to find a way to regain his powers. Every chance Bill got, he would look though file cabinets, manila folders, and books, trying to find _something. _Anything could help him at this point.

"You know, being human isn't _all_ bad," Ford tried. "It just takes some getting used to. And even if you ended up human forever when you changed-" Ford continued but was interrupted by Bill sighing obnoxiously.

Bill glared at the human. "I'll find a way to get out of this fleshy body, just you wait, Sixer." Bill sat down across from Ford and spun around in an office chair.

Ford looked at the man and shook his head. "I'm not sure if that's even possible, Bill." He commented.

Bill grunted. "Sure it is!" He argued. "You just won't tell me how to do it!" He accused, folding his arms and looking away.

Stanford rubbed his eyes, and stared at Bill for a moment. "Even if I _did _know, of course I wouldn't tell you. After everything you've done to the town, to this family, and to me, there's no _way_ you could be trusted back in your original form." He stated in a blunt manner. Bill crossed his arms and glared, but made no comment.

"In the meantime," Ford started again, "You could _try _to communicate a bit more. Like I said, being human _isn't all bad. _You just have to find something interesting enough to occupy yourself with." Ford turned around and reached for a pen, going back to a writing project he had been working on this morning.

Bill scoffed. "There's nothing interesting in this stupid basement." Ford couldn't help but take a bit of offense to the underground lab being called a _basement._ He opened a desk drawer and grabbed hold of a book filled with word searches. He grabbed a spare pen and handed them to Bill.

"Try this, it's a puzzle book." Ford said.

Bill looked down at the book and grabbed hold of it, unamused. "Puzzle books are still books, Sixer." He commented.

Ford rolled his eyes. "It's not like I have a Barbie doll house down here. If you want to find something you find interesting, look for something yourself." He said, returning back to his work. Bill smirked at the opportunity to look through papers and books, to find a way to regain his powers. Ford adjusted his glasses. "And don't do anything stupid." He added.

Bill opened his mouth sarcastically, putting a hand over his heart. "Why would _I_ do anything _stupid?" _Ford glared and turned around, not bothering to respond nor give an answer that was too obvious in the first place.

Stanford pushed his original work aside and reached for an empty notebook. _Who knows how long I will have to deal with Bill down here. I don't know how long it will take to piece this puzzle together, so I might as well start my research with a new notebook. _He flipped to the second page and began writing what he knew about Bill's human form. He wrote down how Bill was, or, seemed powerless. He added small details to that fact, filling an entire page already. Ford sighed and lay his head atop his arm.

Bill noticed Ford had been writing for nearly an hour, and decided to look at what he was writing about. Bill snuck behind Ford and poked his head to the side of the humans back, enough to see the writing, and not be seen by the author. Bill was unamused when he realized his powerless state was being logged. He smirked at the thought of the opportunity to scare the man while his guard was down. Bill extended his arms and put one hand on each of Ford's shoulders and yelled "HELLO!" The man jumped, and got out of his chair in an instant, ready for some sort of attack. Bill stared at his facial expression of alarm and began to burst out laughing. The demon held his stomach and put his arm against the wall to keep himself from falling to the floor.

Ford looked at the demon and sighed, running a hand through his hair and glaring at the ground. Bill caught his breath and pointed at the human. "You're easy to scare, Sixer. Why don't you write _that _down in your little notebook?" He mocked, beginning to laugh once again.

Ford folded his arms and looked at Bill, annoyed. "I was writing," He commented, trying to defend himself. "And for your information, I was not _scared, _I was just.. caught off guard." He said.

Ford's slight pause during his sentence only encouraged Bill's laughter. "You got scared and you know it." Bill said. Ford rolled his eyes and sat back down in his chair.

Bill caught his breath once again and watched the man go back to writing. "So, how long are you going to put up with me, Sixer?" He asked.

Ford stopped writing and shrugged, not taking his eyes off the notebook. "However long it takes me to figure this new mystery out." He stated, starting again at writing.

Bill laughed, sarcastically this time. "You won't be able to last _that long."_ Bill started. Ford dropped his pen and raised an eyebrow, still not making eye contact with him. "You'll lose your sanity before you even figure out how to keep me from bothering you every ten minutes." Bill commented.

Ford shook his head. "If I can find something to _keep _you from bothering me every ten minutes, It'll be good enough for me." He stated.

**Sorry for the long wait! I didn't have a good chance to write these past few days, I started on half of it a few days ago, but I didn't want to upload the chapter until it was finished. The next couple of chapters will really get the story started. I will try to have it up ASAP!**

**Also, feel free to leave suggestions if you have any ideas on what Ford could find to keep Bill occupied, that would be appreciated! **

**New chapter up soon!**


	9. Unthought to be caught!

**Here I am, with yet another chapter of "Welcome home"! I just wanted to give an honest THANK YOU to everyone reading this story, and especially the readers who have Followed, Favorited, and commented on chapters! Your feedback honestly means so much to me, and to be honest, I really enjoy reading comments on things I make and post (:**

**Well, here's chapter 9!**

* * *

Bill had been staying down in the secret laboratory for nearly a week now. It was nearly 10:00 in the morning on a Saturday when Ford decided to go upstairs. The gift shop was about to open so he wanted to make sure he got what he needed until the shop would close for the day. He was away from the lab for nearly 5 minutes and came back down to the lab with some breakfast.

Ford saw Bill sitting down, drawing little triangle versions of himself on a piece of paper. He could tell Bill missed his old, triangle form the day he encountered him as human. Bill glared at the triangles and snapped the pencil he was writing with in half, fuming in anger at his new, fleshy self he had to deal with. He threw the broken pencil on the ground and balled up the piece of paper, chucking in behind him, unintentionally hitting Ford on the head.

Ford winced, but walked over near Bill with a plate of toast. Bill turned and looked at the plate, glaring down at it and folding his arms. "I can get my own food, Sixer." He stated.

Ford shook his head. "No, Bill, you can't." He set the plate down on the desk Bill's drawing was previously on. Bill looked up at the man, keeping his glare. He knew Ford had a point, but wouldn't dare admit it. He picked up the toast and took a large bite, chewing without bothering to close his mouth. Ford cringed at the action but didn't scold him for the action. He understood that Bill wasn't used to eating like a person, and that he wasn't very aware of manners. As Bill chowed down on his breakfast, Ford went back to his basement bedroom to go read.

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel were up in their room playing Checkers. Dipper cheered as he obtained yet another victory. Mabel folded her arms. "You cheated," She pointed out. "You didn't let me go first."

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Mabel, what are you talking about? I won fair and square!" He said.

"No you didn't, Dip-dop! Grunkle Stan said the black checkers _always _go first!" She commented, as she separated the pieces in case of another round.

Dipper shook his head. "You don't know that for sure," He pointed out.

Mabel grinned and adjusted her headband. "I'm older, I know _all!"_ She said, moving her hands above her head as if creating a rainbow.

Dipper sighed. "Grunkle Stan is older than _you_. He probably gave given you misinformation." He tried.

Mabel shook her head. The twins looked at eachother, basically thinking the same thing. "If anyone would know, it would be great uncle Ford!" Dipper commented.

Mabel nodded in agreement, and the twins stood up. _"You_ should know, bro-bro. I thought you were the 'smart guy'!" She teased, making hand symbols of sarcasm. She smirked at Dipper's facial expression, and the two dashed towards the door to go back downstairs, and to the lab.

Stan was in the living room and noticed the twins dash downstairs, running outside towards the gift shop. He stood up, remembering just what time it was. It was time for him to open the shop. Stan put down his newspaper and headed out of the living room. He put on his work uniform and grabbed his cane, following behind the twins.

* * *

The young twins laughed as one chased the other. Soos was early to work and was tracking down his tool belt he had left at the shack the day before. He watched the kids run into the gift shop, and greeted them with a tip of his hat and a smile.

"Hey, dudes!" Soos exclaimed.

The twins ran past him not making eye contact. They typed in the code on the vending machine to the laboratory to find Ford. Soos strapped on his toolbelt and watched them about to leave.

"We'll talk later, Soos, we're busy trying to prove each other wrong!" Mabel exclaimed to the handyman.

Dipper unlocked the vending machine and opened the door for Mabel to enter. Soos watched the twins run down the stairs, a bit confused on what the circumstance was, but chose not to think much of it, as it wasn't his business. Being reminded of business, he walked over behind the cash register and grabbed a ladder to fix one of the lights handing from the ceiling.

As the twins reached the bottom of the staircase, they both entered the elevator and pressed the button to go down. They both tried to prove their points on who was correct as the elevator proceeded to go down.

"If I'm right, bro-bro, you have to wear your hat backwards the whole day, like dippy fresh!" She squealed in excitement.

Dipper prevented himself from raging as he shook his head. He _hated _Dippy fresh. How he wished Bill had never created him and put him inside Mabeland during the events of Weirdmageddon.

"Fine," He started. "But If _i'm _right, you have to invite _Gideon _to your next sleepover!"

Mabel turned to her brother and raised an eyebrow, pointing at Dipper. "I thought you _hated _my sleepovers, dip-dop!"

Dipper smirked and punched his sister in the arm, playfully. "Not if it's fun for me and free of Candy and Grenda bouncing off the walls." He stated.

Mabel laughed and shook her head. The elevator stopped going down and the two siblings looked around for Ford. No one was in sight, so they started inside the lab to find him.

"Great uncle Ford?" Dipper called out, only to receive no response.

As the twins searched the room, Bill came out of the dark room he had claimed as his own. He had claimed it, and refused to exit the room when Ford asked him to. He usually did this to annoy the man. As he exited "his room", the twins heard movement. They looked around once more to examine the part of the room near to the elevator. Bill grabbed the doorknob of his room, closing the door shut. After this, he turned around to grab a pen to break apart, only to be dissatisfied of what his eyes encountered. The two curious twins looked up at Bill, as they cautiously walked up close.

"Who.." Dipper started, taking a step back, confused on who this man was.

Mabel adjusted her headband. "Who are you?" She asked, finishing her brothers sentence and folding her arms.

Bill stood there frozen with his eyes squeezed shut, fists clenched. He knew opening his eyes would very easily give away his identity.

"Uhh." Bill started, not daring to look at one of the twins. The twins folded their arms at the same time, and Dipper called out for His Great uncle once again.

Bill swallowed and stuttered. "I.. I'm..." He tried. The twins looked at eachother, very confused on what this strange man was doing in their home.

Bill squinted his eyes, just barely opening them, and dashed to his right to where Ford had gone to read. During this action, he yelled, "SIXER!"

Dipper watched him leave and squinted his eyes. Mabel put her hands on her hips.

"Dipper, who is that?" She asked, turning to face her brother. Dipper looked at his sister, and back at the man. He could only shrug. Dipper had no idea on where this strange, skinny man came from, and was curious to find out. He also knew that this could be an intruder, who was spying on his uncle's work. This made the boy mad, and he decided to follow the strange figure.

"Sixer!" Bill exclaimed, just after slamming the door to the room the human was in. Ford had his nightstand lamp on, illuminating the room. He sat up and adjusted his pillow, putting down his book. He sat criss-crossed on his bed and looked over at Bill, confused on the alarming circumstance that had come so suddenly.

"What do you need, Bill?" Ford asked, as Bill put his hands through his hair in fear. His breathing was heavy, and he paced around the room. Stanford heard no verbal response from the other man, and he became a bit curious on the situation. He adjusted his glasses and watched Bill panicking.

Bill couldn't find himself to stop pacing. He had been at the shack for just less than a week, and he was already _very close _to having his cover blown. Ford glared, confused.

"Bill!" Ford exclaimed. The demon stopped, his hands behind his head, trying to slow his breathing. He looked over at the man. Ford sighed, and addressed Bill once again. "What's wrong? Why is there need to panic so suddenly?"

The demon let his hands fall to his sides, and he cleared his throat, about to speak.

"Well," He started, and jumped at the sudden sound of knocking at the door. Bill shrieked and ran over to the bed. He slid and hid under, staying hidden with a blanket that had been conveniently folded under the bed. Ford stood up and walked over to the door. Bill shut his eyes. He couldn't believe how easily afraid he was now that he was in this human form. What would be so bad about being found by the Pine's family? He asked himself this question, even though he _knew _the answer.

Ford opened the door and was shocked to see his niece and nephew standing there.

"Dipper and Mabel, what are you doing down here? There are projects down here that are _incredibly _dangerous!" Ford exclaimed.

The twins looked at eachother, and back at their uncle. "Sorry Grunkle ford, we created a bet to see who would be correct on a certain fact after a checkers game." Mabel tried to explain.

Ford looked at Dipper for another explanation. The boy sighed, and put his hands in his pockets. "Mabel accused me of cheating in a checkers game, and we wanted proof to see who was correct. We figured you could help us out."

A wave of relief passed by Ford, and he questioned his niece. "What did you two need help with?" He asked.

Mabel looked at Dipper, and back at Ford. "Grunkle Ford, is it true that black checkers _always _go first in the beginning of a game of checkers?"

Ford adjusted his _glasses_ and nodded. "Yes, that is correct." He responded, to which Mabel cheered. She looked at her brother wide-eyed, waiting for Dipper to adjust his hat the way she told him to. Dipper sighed, and accepted his defeat. He put his hat on backwards, and Mabel burst out laughing

Stanford tried to get the twins to leave as quickly as possible. "Theres your answer, now run along and do whatever it is you kids like to do with your day."

The twins shrugged and turned, just about to leave. Bill figured they were gone due to the quick silence, and ran out from under the bed where he hid himself. He peered over Ford's shoulder.

"Are they gone?" Bill asked aloud, forgetting to even look towards the elevator before questioning. The twins jumped and turned around in shock. Ford looked behind him and glared. Bill noticed three different pairs of eyes on him. The facial expressions of the Pines made him back away slowly, enclosing himself back into the room.

Dipper was frozen with fear. He knew those eyes _anywhere. _

"B-B-Bi-Bill?" He stuttered. Ford looked behind him, and back at the twins. Ford shook his head.

"No, my boy. That's not Bill. Bill Cipher is dead, and you _know _that." Ford tried, but his nephew shook his head.

"N-no... I know those eyes anywhere!" He started. His heart raced, and he ran for the elevator. Mabel turned and followed him. The twins exited the lab quickly, and Ford went back into his room, fists clenched. He sighed deeply.

"You idiot!" Ford exclaimed to Bill, causing him to jump back a bit. Ford walked closer to Bill, as he backed up.

Ford glared at the demon. "Do you have any idea what you have just done?" He asked, "You haven't even been here one week and your cover has _already _been blown!"

Bill looked into the man's eyes, not very sure of what to do in this state. "Look, it'll be fine, sixer!" He tried. The human shook his head.

"It most certainly will _not _be '_fine_'!" Stanford stated without hesitance, not bothered nor concerned by the angered tone in his voice.

Bill's back hit the wall, causing him to groan and smirk at the same time. It had been so long since he had felt _true pain_, and _boy,_ did he enjoy it. In his triangular form, it was very difficult to experience pain, and even if there was pain, it was never severe. Bill accepted the fact that his human body was more prone to injury, which didn't bother him, not even the slightest. Maybe he had found something that he would enjoy in his time as a fleshbag after all.

Ford put both his hands on the wall, cornering Bill in a nonexistent corner. Ford looked at the demon and squinted his eyes. "What am I supposed to do with you now?" The human asked in a serious tone of voice now.

Bill just shrugged, not bothering to speak or give an opinion. Ford sighed and looked at the ground. Sure, he was upset. But more importantly, he was afraid. _What _was he supposed to do with Bill _now? _Dipper and Mabel had found him, His cover had just been blown, but was he just supposed to let him _go? _As much as Ford wanted Bill to leave his house as soon as possible, go and never come back, he knew that Bill Cipher couldn't be trusted in the outside world. He could still be dangerous, he very likely could have been lying about his loss of power. so _what would he do? _Ford hated the idea of letting him stay, and he knew that it would be a nightmare to keep him here, but he knew that it was a choice he had to make...

...Fords sanity...?

Or costing all of Gravity Falls, putting everyone in danger once again?

Ford sighed. "I never should have made that portal," He started aloud. Bill raised an eyebrow and looked at the man.

"I summoned you in the first place, and now I've put the town in danger once again." Ford continued.

Bill shook his head at Ford, not in anger. "Hey, cut it out, sixer." He stated. He put a hand on the human's shoulder. "It's not your fault."

Ford jerked his shoulder away from Bill and backed up, not wanting to take part of any type of game Bill was trying to play or pull off. He scoffed and glared at the demon. "You're right," Ford started.

"This is _your _fault! _You _got yourself caught, _you _are dangerous, and _you _can't be trusted in Gravity Falls, or anywhere! I don't even trust you _here, _Bill!" Ford admitted. As much as Bill knew this was all true, he was still taken aback by the man's words.

Bill just glared at the man and sighed. "Then let me go." He stated, firmly.

Ford shook his head, putting a hand on his forehead. He, too, sighed. "You know I can't do that, Bill." He said, looking at the demon. "It's too dangerous for Gravity Falls, for Oregon, for the entirety of the universe."

Bill shook his head and walked away. "Then I suppose you're dealing with me until I can be _trusted_." Bill murmured. Ford exhaled, and went back to reading his book, unsure of what to do now that Bill had been found by Dipper and Mabel. _Surely_ they would tell Stan.

**There's the end of Chapter 9! Thank you to KanaraFoox for the idea of having Bill found by Dipper and Mabel, I think it's the best way to begin this story. If anyone has ideas for this story, whether they are big or small, feel free to comment or PM me about it! Thank you for reading, next chapter within a week...**

**...Probably.**


	10. Bad at bluffing

**WE JUST HIT 500 VIEWS! THANK YOU SO MUCH :D**

**Here's chapter 10 of "Welcome Home"!**

Dipper and Mabel were inside the living room, sitting on the floor, a re-run episode of Ducktective was on tv. Although, the twins attention wasn't on the tv, it was mainly on their own thoughts. They were thinking similar questions about what they had seen, but they didn't bother to share conversations.

"Maybe," Dipper started, finally breaking the silence. Mabel turned to her brother.

Dipper sighed. "Maybe.. We shouldn't tell Grunkle stan.." He suggested.

Mabel raised an eyebrow. "Why not? It seems like a better plan than keeping quiet."

Dipper shook his head. "I feel like telling Stan would be worse. Whatever Bill was doing down there, there must be a reason _why." _ Dipper rubbed his hands together in thought.

"I don't know, Dipper. wouldn't Stan know what to do? I'm sure he could help us out here." Mabel questioned as she spoke. Dipper just shook his head, hanging it for a moment. His hat fell off his head, and he adjusted it back on. He put it on the correct way and then remembered the net he had lost. He sighed and put it back on, Dippy-fresh style.

"Maybe," Dipper started once again, breaking _ another _wave of silence between the twins. Agin, Mabel looked at her brother as he stood up, slowly.

"Maybe Ford is doing research?" Mabel tried. Dipper held a faint glare at the ground. "Maybe Ford has been hiding this from _us." _ Dipper theorized.

Mabel chuckled, trying to brighten the mood. "We know that already, Dip-dop. If he wasn't trying to hide it, Grunkle Ford would have told us and Stan about Bill." Dipper rose up and shook his head. "Unless... " super continued.

"Unless?" Mabel questioned. " maybe Ford hid Bill from _us,_ and _only _us. " He thought. "Maybe Grunkle Stan already knows about it! " Dipper exclaimed, raising his voice.

"And after all this time," Dipper continued, not bothering to interact with anyone. "After _all this time, _Great uncle Ford _still _doesn't think I'm capable?" Dipper said, fists clenched. "What..." He continued, hanging his head a bit. He shot his head back up as he exclaimed, "_What _have I been doing _wrong?" _ Dipper asked himself, glaring and furiously punching the wall. Mabel jumped at the loud _bang! _the wall made as it cracked slightly. He

Dipper stepped back in remorse. He held his hand up near his eyes, holding his wrist worth the other. Mabel rose up and put her hand on her brothers back.

"Hey," Mabel started , running circles on Dippers back. "I'm sure Grunkle Ford has a reason for all of this." She tried. Dipper hung his head and left the room, going outside towards the gift shop.

"Wait!" Mabel exclaimed, following along with her brother. The female twin caught up to Dipper, and the two went inside.

Soos was still working at the shack, sweeping the floor.

"Hey, dudes!" He greeted, as he put the broom behind the cashier counter. Mabel waved and smiled.

"Should we go talk to Grunkle Ford about it?" Mabel asked. Dipper nodded, without having to say a word. The twins made their way to the vending machine.

"Um..." Mabel started, stopping Dipper from punching in the code. " won't Ford get mad that were down in the basement without him knowing. Dipper glared and turned to his sister.

"Mabel!" Dipper exclaimed. " do you want to find out what is going on down there or not?" Not waiting for a response, he turned towards the vending machine and punched in the code. Mabel sighed, but followed her brother as he made his way towards the elevator from down the stairs. She _knew_ this was a bad idea.

Lucky for them, the elevator as somewhat quiet. When the elevator made its way down, opening the door for the twins to get out, they saw their uncle in a chair, writing.

Mabel took a step out of the elevator, hesitantly calling their Great uncles name. "Grunkle Ford?" She started , causing Ford to t run around in his chair.

"Mabel? What is it you need?" He questioned, taking his eyes off his work. He put down his pen and twins moved closer, relieved that their uncle wasn't upset.

"I..._we..._have a question. " she stated. Ford nodded his head, motioning for her to continue. "Why..." good she started, afraid to even ask the question. 'Why is Bill here? And... for how long? " she asked. Dipper stepped forward beside his sister.

"Yeah, no more secrets great uncle Ford. What is going on?" Dipper questioned.

"Why is Bill down here with you? How long has he been here? What's going on?" Mabel asked, all in a rush.

Ford put a hand through his hair and chuckled a bit. He stood up from his chair, walking towards his niece. He kneeled beside her, matching her height, and put a hand on her shoulder.

"Calm down, Mabel. There's no need to rush with your words." He commented. Both the twins looked at Ford, not responding back to his comment, but eagerly waiting for an answer.

Ford looked at his nephew, and back at his niece. "Well," He started, causing the twins to widen their eyes. Ford was careful with his words, and what he would say. "Are you both _sure _you know what you saw?" He questioned.

The twins both nodded, still not saying a word. Dipper put his hands in his short pockets and Mabel folded her arms. Ford adjusted his glasses and looked at Dipper.

"Dipper," Stanford started. The boy took a step forward, standing side-by-side with Mabel. "What did you see?" Ford questioned.

Dipper looked around the room, looking for the man he had seen the other day. "Great uncle Ford, there was a man in here just a couple of hours ago. But..." He continued. Ford raised an eyebrow and kept eye contact with his nephew. Ford had read (And experienced) That if you keep staring at someone without looking away, they will be more likely to say what you want to hear just to get out of the awkward situation of eye contact. The only problem was, Ford didn't know what kind of answer he wanted, or what he wanted to hear. But, he decided not to share that bit with Dipper and Mabel.

The young boy cleared his throat after a moment of silence. "It wasn't just a man," Dipper stated, causing Ford to silently panic in his mind. Ford nodded his head, encouraging Dipper to continue on.

"It was.." Dipper continued, silently gaining suspense in Ford's mind.

Dipper closed his eyes and sighed. "It was Bill." He stated. Ford's hands fell to his sides. _What was he supposed to say to that?_

"Dipper, my boy. Are you _sure _it was Bill that you saw?" Ford asked, trying to confuse the boy. The plan backfired when Dipper nodded quickly after.

"Yes, great uncle Ford. It was _Bill. _I know those eyes _anywhere!"_ Dipper stated again, raising his voice.

What was Ford supposed to do _now? _He had no ideas on how to respond to his nephew.

Mabel looked at her brother, then at Ford. "Dipper is right, Grunkle Ford." Mabel supported. Ford turned his head back at the brunette.

_Oh no, _Ford thought to himself. _They both saw him._

"He had eyes just like Dipper's. Well, when Bill used Dipper's body as a puppet at my sock opera." Mabel said, trying not to sound confusing. "Like 'Bipper'."

Ford began to chuckle. The twins both raised an eyebrow. What was so funny? The twins watched Ford laugh as he stood up. "You've got it all wrong, sweetie." He tried. Mabel tilted her head to the side of her shoulder.

"That couldn't have been _Bill _you saw, that was just an old friend stopping by for a visit." Ford tried. Dipper folded his arms, not exactly buying the story.

"You see," Ford continued. "Those eyes you saw were a special type of contact lenses I have been working on. It lets you see more than the average object. It helps you to see textures easier. I figured something like that would be useful in case of magic. Just like everything else, magic has textures in some way, so I figured these new contact lenses would assist with my research, so I could create magic formulas easier."

The twins both took a step back, processing the information. Dipper nodded slowly, and so did Mabel until something hit her.

"Then why was the man so afraid?" She asked. Ford also took a step back. _I almost got away with that!_ He thought to himself.

Ford smiled down at the brunette. "Let's just say he doesn't like socializing without notice." He tried. Mabel nodded, convinced. Her eyes got big again, as Ford tried to walk away, hoping not to show his 'bluffing' face.

"Wait!" She exclaimed. Stanford turned back around in surprise. He put his hands in his coat pocket. "_Yes, _Mabel?" He asked, hoping the twins would leave before they broke his _lie._

"The man..." Mabel started. The room went quiet for a moment. There was a short moment of silence where you could hear a tack drop. Mabel pointed her finger at Ford in suspicion, causing him to take yet another step back.

"The man.." She started again. "He... He called you _'Sixer_'!" Mabel exclaimed, raising her voice as she spoke. Ford cringed for split second, and Dippers eyes got big.

"Mabel is right!" Dipper exclaimed. "What's going on, great uncle Ford?" He questioned.

Ford took off his glasses and cleaned his glasses on his maroon turtleneck, hoping to stall and give him a small bit of time for a comeback. As he had hoped for, he came up with one last, desperate idea.

"What has gotten into you kids?" He asked, causing the twins to make looks of confusion. Ford sighed. "Has Stan been feeding you cookies at breakfast again?" He questioned, annoyed. Mabel nodded slowly, admittingly, and Dipper nudged her in the arm, causing her to hold her arm with her other hand.

Ford sighed. "You two should go back upstairs and make some salad." He suggested. The twins looked at each other and shrugged.

"Well?" Ford pushed with his words. The twins nodded, and made their way to the elevator.

They were quick to press the button to go up, and when the door to the elevator had closed, Ford collapsed in his chair, obnoxiously sighing in relief.

Inside the elevator, the twins looked at each other and nodded. They _knew _Ford was bluffing. they could see it, they could _tell _something was going on.

"Do you think we should tell Stan _now?" _Mabel asked Dipper. Her brother sighed and nodded. "I think." He answered.

When the elevator opened, the twins rushed up the stairs and out of the vending machine.

Down in the underground lab, Ford was running hands through his hair, frustrated. Had the twins _actually _believed his bluffing? Did they _know _he was lying?

Bill had snuck up behind the chair that Ford sat in. He had crawled out from under the desk and pushed the chair forward a bit, causing Ford to exclaim in alarm and jump up, turning around. He glared at the demon that was close by, hardly being able to stand, as he fell to the ground, laughing.

"You_ have got _to stop doing that." Ford commented. Bill laughed, and brought himself to sit on the floor, trying to control his laughter.

"You're fun to annoy." Bill admitted. Ford rolled his eyes and folded his arms.

"Also," Bill added. "You're _horrible _at lying, sixer."

Ford sighed. "You know I'm bad at bluffing. What did you expect?" He asked.

The demon shrugged. "I just figured you could pull something convincing enough together."

"The twins left, didn't they?" Ford defended.

Bill sighed. "Sixer, sixer." He taunted. Ford raised an eyebrow as Bill stood up and leaned on the desk, pointing towards a monitor. Ford turned to his side, seeing that Bill was pointing to one of the cameras that were inside the shack. The two walked over, and Fords eyes got big.

_This is bad. _Was all Stanford could say to himself.

"Do you see that sixer?" Bill asked, not looking for an answer. "They may have left, but they left to go find your _brother._" He stated, pointing at the camera once more before folding his arms. He looked at Ford as the human looked up at the monitor, not sure of what to do now.

Yes. This _was, _indeed, _bad._

**There's the end of this chapter! I hope you guys liked how this turned out. What will the twins say to Stan? Does Stan _know _anything already? What is Ford supposed to do, now? And _why _do I sound like one of those fancy-pants TV hosts before a commercial break?**

**Find out next time on Dragon Ball Z!**

**Just kidding!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, it was mostly dialog, and i'm sorry if it wasn't _too detailed._ I will try to work on that! New chapter up soon!**

**HAHA! Cliffhanger! This chapter is a bit shorter than I intended, but I wanted to get a chapter posted for you guys.**

**I hope you're enjoying the story so far! I'm always hoping to make it interesting enough to read, so if you have any ideas, they are always welcome! I just want your honest opinion, and I'm extremely grateful I have people _actually reading _my stuff. Thank you for reading! New chapter in a few days (:**


	11. Can it, Stanley!

**This chapter has a lot of drama between Stan and Ford, and a couple words that may not be as pleasant as I would prefer to write. Just a heads up (:**

**I'm in a writing mood today, so it's possible I might get two chapters up today! I honestly don't have anything to say for the beginning of this chapter, so...**

**Here is chapter 11!**

Ford felt like breaking the monitor on the wall. He didn't want to see what was going on. _What was he supposed to do?_ He asked himself, though no ideas came to him.

Bill noticed the human was under a lot of pressure, and he just sighed.

"Look, sixer," Bill started, Ford not making eye contact. "You should just tell them the truth. How bad could it be?" He asked him.

Ford scoffed. "Are you _really _asking me that question, after everything you've done?" He responded.

Bill folded his arms and looked away, suddenly finding a bookcase interesting.

"The past is in the past." Bill stated. Ford shook his head. "The past is still the present." He responded. Bill rolled his eyes and shook his head. "No, it's not. I'm a human, i'm powerless, and now you're lying to your _entire _family. None of that was in the past." He stated, staring Ford right in the eyes.

Ford put his hands in his pockets and decided he would take a trip upstairs. Bill watched the man as he left the basement, and he sighed.

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel were speaking to Stan inside of his office. They told their Grunkle what they had seen, and what Ford had been saying to them. As they explained further, Stan felt more and more urge to give his brother a good punch in the face.

"Wait, slow down, kids." Grunkle Stan said. The twins looked up, silencing themselves. The man stood up from his chair and folded his arms. "You mean to tell me that Bill is still_ alive? _I thought getting my memory erased would fix all this!" He stated, raising his voice.

Mabel shook her head and looked at Stan. "Aw, Grunkle Stan, I'm so sorry.." She said, trying to comfort him with a hug. Stan gave her a pat on the back, and turned to open a desk drawer. He reached inside the drawer and slipped his brass knuckles between his fingers. Dipper noticed the action and his eyes widened. "Grunkle Stan, what are you doing with that?" He shrieked. Stan rolled his eyes. "Relax, kid, it's nothing to worry about." He assured.

Dipper shook his head. "Violence doesn't solve anything!" He argued. Stan walked past Dipper and stood by the door. "Yeah?" He started, not looking for a comment. "Well it sure solved my _brothers _problems!" He shot back, walking away without any other words.

"Should we... stop him?" Dipper asked. Mabel shook her head. "Let the adults sort things out. I'm sure they'll be careful with each other!" She said.

Let's just say...

They weren't too careful with each other.

Stan walked straight into the kitchen after hearing Ford put away a couple of dishes. Stanley pulled up his sleeves and called out his brothers name, fuming.

"Hey, Stanford!" Stan shouted, causing Ford to jump in surprise. Ford looked at his brother and noticed his angered facial expression.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What is it, Stanley?" He asked. Stan shook his head and chuckled sarcastically. "Oh, don't you start playing dumb with me, pointdexter! Would you mind telling me what the _hell _is going on with you?" He asked.

Stanford folded his arms. "What are you talking about?" He tried, and quickly understood that Stan was not falling for that trick.

"Don't think I don't know!" Stan fumed. "You've been huddled up in that _basement _of yours twice as much as you used to, and we all know exactly _why! _So tell me, Stanford, what is going on?" He asked.

Ford looked out the window and sighed. "Look, Stanley-" Ford started in a calm tone, but Stan took his jacket by the sides of his neck and pinned him up against the wall.

"Don't you _'Look, Stanley'_ me!" Stan spat. "Tell me what's going on! Say it to me, pointdexter, say it to my _face!" _He roared, shaking Ford in a forceful manner.

Ford glared at his brother. "Put me down!" He demanded. Stan shook his head and forced him against the wall once again.

"What's the deal, Ford? What is there to be so secretive about?" Stan asked once more. Ford tried to pull away, but Stan easily proved that at this moment, _he _was the stronger man. "Why don't you just _TELL ME?_" He yelled.

Ford shouted Stan's name in both annoyance and frustration. "Look, Stanley, it's _not _an easy thing to talk about." He shot back at his brother.

Stan shook Ford once again, motioning for him to continue after a short pause and silence.

"I.." Ford started. _Look what he had gotten himself into. __He never should have encountered Bill. He never should have hidden him in the lab after finding him. he shouldn't have even summoned the demon long ago in the first place. But now he would have to explain to his family that Bill was now human, and he didn't know why._

"I.." Stanford said once again. "It's.. It's _Bill." _Ford admitted. Stan looked his brother in the eyes, but finally let go of his hold on his jacket. He took a short step back, but stayed close enough that he could easily pin him back onto the wall.

"What about him?" Stan questioned. Ford held one of his hands on his arm and looked at the ground. "He's back." He continued. "He is back, and in a new form. He is _human._" He stated.

Stan folded his arms. "But, _how?_" Stan continued to question. Ford shook his head and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know." Ford started, "But by the looks of it, Bill is powerless. I don't believe Bill could possibly harm anyone in this family, well... not with magic anyway." Ford assured.

Stan scoffed. "How is that supposed to make the kids feel safe?" He asked. Ford shrugged and looked at Stan. "All we can do right now is keep him away from the outside world. We need to keep him within the shack."

Ford tried his best to explain, but Stan shook his head. "Why keep him _in _the shack when we can keep him _out _of the shack?" Stan asked. "You know, like... _forever?" _He added.

Ford shot a glare at his brother. "Would you rather risk the entire town, or worse, the entire world?" He asked.

Stan shrugged. "You keep that yellow eyed freak away from the kids." He stated. Ford sighed.

"You don't need to address him like that, Stan." Ford commented.

Stan rolled his eyes. "He deserves it after everything he's done." He said. Ford shook his head. "That may be so, but in case he _does, _in fact, have magic left, don't you think it would be a smart idea to stay off his _bad side?_" Ford asked.

Stan sighed obnoxiously. "We're all on his bad side. He doesn't even have a good side, you and I both know that, and don't try to prove me wrong." He added.

Ford shook his head. "I can't disagree with you on that, but just _try _to treat him with some decency?" Ford asked his brother.

"You keep the freak away from me, I won't have to treat him with any type of decency, or any type of _anything!_" Stan stated.

Ford rolled his eyes and Stan laughed. "He's never done anything good to you, why should you show any kindness to him?" He asked his brother, not really looking for an answer.

Ford glared at his brother once again with his fists clenched. "_Can it, _Stanley!" He shot back, and walked out of the kitchen.

Stan stood there unamused. What was going to happen now? Could he even tolerate the demon in the same room as him every day? Stan knew he wouldn't, and he was sure Ford couldn't either.

**There is chapter 11! Like the last chapter, it was a lot of dialog, and i'm sorry for not having a ton of details, sometimes I get deep into the emotions where I forget to write about thoughts and instead write opinions and comments that the characters have instead. I will definitely work on that for the future to make the story a bit more detailed, unless you guys prefer stories that get straight to the point. I don't really know, so feel free to give me your opinion!**

**New chapter will be up within the next week, depending on how quickly I come up with a topic for the next chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and I'm sorry for the mild use of language in this chapter, I just felt that it was fitting to _really _set the mood.**

**As I said, Next chapter should be up in about a week, hopefully less than that! **


	12. Can it, Stanford!

**Thank you to JakeTheViper for leaving a review on the last chapter, i'm glad you like the story! **

**Here's chapter 15 of "Welcome Home"!**

Ford entered inside the gift shop to go back down to his laboratory. He greeted Soos with a wave, and Soos gave a tip of his hat. The two didn't talk often, so they didn't know each other very well. Soos figured Ford would rather stay with his work more in the day rather than socializing, which the handyman understood. As Ford opened the vending machine, he grunted at the fact that his back would be sore in the morning thanks to Stan.

Bill was spinning in Ford's chair and stopped when the human exited the elevator.

Ford noticed the pause in motion, and mentally questioned what the reaction was for.

"So," Bill started. Ford folded his arms and leaned on a desk near the demon. "So?" Ford asked, waiting for the other man's response.

Bill rolled his eyes. "You _told him?_" Bill practically scolded.

Ford shrugged and nodded. "Everyone knows that you're here, Bill. It's no secret anymore. I might as well have told my brother rather than getting an unnecessary punch to the face."

Bill glared. "So much for keeping cover." He murmured. Ford shook his head. "It'll be okay." Ford tried.

The demon stood up, his fists clenched. "It's _not _going to be '_okay'_!" Bill shouted. Ford stared at the man with an unamused look on his face.

"What if your brother calls the police on me? What if he _kicks me out?_" Bill questioned, not lowering his tone of voice.

Ford put his hands to his sides and sighed. "He's _not _going to kick you out, Bill. Besides, he can't." The man assured.

Bill laughed sarcastically. "Oh really, Sixer? Why _not?_" He spat. Ford cringed at the sight of saliva flying out of his mouth, but confronted the demon anyway, getting closer to Bill.

"Because this is _my _house." Ford stated. Bill took a step back, nodding his head slowly. "And," Ford added. "He has no control over you." He reminded.

Bill glared at the man once again. "Well neither do you, smart guy." He stated. "The only reason i'm here is so that I can find out how to get back to how I used to be. _Powerful_, and not some fleshbag." He added, showing his distaste of his new form.

"It's better this way." Ford commented. He adjusted his glasses and looked at the demon. "Without you having to be a threat to Gravity Falls, i'd say it gives this town a well deserved break." He said.

Bill folded his arms and scoffed. "You were gone from this town for 30 years, you have no idea what has happened in this _hick town!_" He spat.

Ford sighed. "And I don't really care. All I know is that with you in human form, you're less of a threat, and easier to handle." He commented.

Bill smirked. "Really? You think so?" He asked the man, holding out his arm. Ford took a step back, taking caution to the motion. Bill held out his arm as if flame would appear. He used his hand to grab his arm as he tried dramatically to get a spark of flame to his palm.

Ford couldn't help but chuckle over the other man's facial expressions. Bill noticed his laughter and glared. "What's so funny, old man?" He asked, mockingly.

Ford folded his arms at the insult and looked away. Bill smirked at his win.

Bill put all pressure to his hand when all of a sudden..

..poof.

A small spark of blue flame arose from the palm of his hand, causing him to shriek.

Ford looked back in curiosity, but missed what had happened, as the flame only stayed for a couple of seconds. It was only a bit, but it was Bill's first clue that he would be back to his normal, powerful self soon.

"Bill, what happened?" Ford questioned. Bill laughed mischievously, not bothering to answer the man's question.

Ford walked towards the demon with his hands in front of him, glaring. "Bill..." He said again, shooting a warning with his tone of voice.

Bill shrugged. "Just a spider." He lied, putting his hands behind his back and smiling.

Ford stared at the man and shook his head. "Mabel does that too often," He started.

The demon glared. "Can it, Stanford!" He exclaimed. Bill sighed obnoxiously. "No need for a lecture sixer, just watch..." He said, seriously and held out his hand.

He "tried" to get magic back, and Ford looked above the other man's hand, convinced Bill would do something. Instead of sending magic, Bill shot his hand straight up and smacked Ford right on the face, causing him to flinch and jump away. Bill looked at the mans facial expressions and collapsed to the ground, laughing.

Ford sighed and shook his head, not bothering to scold him. ford knew that he was the one who fell for the silly trick, and felt like kicking himself for doing so.

Bill sat up on his knees and looked at the man with his hand held out again, actually attempting to bring magic to his palm this time.

"I'm not falling for that again." Ford stated. Directly after he said that, his eyes shot open at the sight of small flame that rose out of the demons palm. Bill had done it. He _still _had magic.

Bill folded his arms and mocked the man. "Still think I'm powerless, sixer?" He asked.

Ford sat down next to Bill, and grabbed his hand the magic came out of. Bill jerked his hand away from the man, and Ford looked up at him.

"I'm not going to hurt you Bill, calm down." He assured. Bill scoffed, showing his sarcasm.

"Sure you won't, you want nothing more than to get rid of me." Bill commented.

Ford had no comeback to this comment. Sure, Bill wasn't wrong, but even after everything Bill had done, Ford would _still_ feel bad for saying something like that to a former friend.

Ford just sighed and slowly grabbed the demons wrist again, looking up at the demon as he did so. Bill sighed and nodded his head, giving permission.

The man grabbed a pen and notepad out of his coat, and jotted down a couple of notes. Bill turned his head sideways, trying to read what the man had been writing. Ford looked back and fourth, from the hand to the paper, as he continued to write.

"Jeez, what's so interesting about my _arm, _sixer?" He questioned. Ford didn't bother to look up at Bill, and instead continued his writing as he answered the question.

"I might as well write what I can." Ford commented. "I research things, and write them down. You out of everyone should know that." He said with a chuckle.

Bill rolled his eyes, not getting the answer he was looking for. But at the same time, he didn't have a specific answer he was looking for, so he didn't give a comment on the human's response.

Ford unintentionally pressed on one of Bill's fingers with his hand, causing the demon to flinch and smirk at the pain. The man raised an eyebrow at the reaction. "Is something wrong?" He asked.

Bill shrugged. "That finger has been in pain all day, that's why I keep pressing on it." He said, laughing.

Ford focused his eye on Bill's index finger, facing it closer towards a light, and noticed a small object that had pierced through part of his skin.

"Oh this?" Ford asked, gently pressing down on it, not trying to hurt the demon. Bill hissed at the small bit of pain and nodded. "This is just a splinter." Ford commented.

"It's an easy fix-" He started, grabbing behind him by his desk for a pair of tweezers. Bill's eyes rose, and he jumped over towards Ford's outreached hand, grabbing onto his wrist and stumbling. Ford turned to look at the man, and reached his other hand out to keep Bill from falling onto the ground. (Or onto him...) The two were close enough to make Ford uncomfortable in multiple ways. He didn't mention the situation as the other man spoke.

"Please don't get rid of it," Bill pleaded. "This splinter is the most entertaining this that's happened to me today." Bill stated.

Ford sighed and nodded slowly, inching away from the other man to give space.

Bill noticed the behavior and glared. "What? Am I really that annoying that you stay as far away from me as possible? Way to make me feel good about myself sixer." Bill said and scoffed, crossing his legs and folding his arms, looking away from the other man. Ford rolled his eyes at Bill's comment, and stood up to place his notes on a desk.

Ford grabbed his pen once again and wrote down an extra fact he hadn't gotten the chance to write, and Bill stood up. He also reached for a pen, and began to mock the humans movements as he wrote on his notepad.

The man quickly noticed and turned to face the man, placing down his pen on the desk and putting a hand on his hip. "What are you doing?" Ford asked, and Bill just shrugged.

"Relax, sixer. I'm just playing around." He stated. Ford just sighed and turned back to his notes, continuing to write, not bothering to respond to Bill's statement.

"You can be so boring sometimes, you know that, Stanford?" Bill commented.

Ford just nodded his head, not taking offense to that. "What I choose to do with my day might make me seem boring, but it's what I like to do with my life. Like I said, I _research _things." He added, causing Bill to smirk

"Oh," Bill started, keeping his smirk. "You mean like researching my _hand?_ My _hand, _sixer?" Bill asked, and began busting out laughing at his joke. Ford sighed and shook his head. He couldn't help but smile, humored a bit at the comment, the truth _was _funny sounding.

"Well," Ford began, "I suppose so, Cipher." He stated. Bill tried to slow his laughter, but couldn't help himself.

"Who knew you could laugh so much?" Ford commented, noticing the demons behavior.

Bill successfully slowed his laughter for a moment. "Oh, I don't laugh often." Bill stated. "I just laugh at _you. _It's more fun to make fun of you than these other fleshbags that you live with."

Ford sighed and nodded his head, accepting that fact.

**AHH! Here's the end of this chapter! I couldn't help but put some fluff in this chapter. Chances are this is the most fluff you'll get for a few more chapters, so I figured it would be nice to write a _bit _of a bonding chapter for the two characters. As much as I would love to write some fluff, I need to let the story evolve first! I hope you enjoyed, feel free to leave suggestions for what I should write later on.**

**Thanks for reading this chapter, I think this story deserved a bit of fluff between Bill and Ford being that this is the 12th chapter. **

**New chapter up soon! Have a good week (:**


	13. Can't be trusted

**I hope you guys liked the last chapter, it was mainly written to give the main characters some bonding time. I wasn't sure what to do for this chapter, so I figured I should create some drama about Bill not being able to go out of the shack...**

**Yet...**

**Well, here's chapter 13!**

Yet another day in the Mystery Shack had passed, and Stanford came down to the laboratory to bring Bill some breakfast. He held a bowl of oatmeal in one hand, and a glass of orange juice in the other. He noticed the demon's facial expression of disgust at the contents of the bowl, and Ford rolled his eyes.

"Why don't _I _get to choose my breakfast, Sixer?" He complained, not bothering to greet the other man, as usual.

Ford looked up at him. "You've never given a request." He stated. "I can't know what to bring you if you don't ask for something." Ford added, shrugging his shoulders.

Bill rolled his eyes. "That's not what I mean, and you know it." He said, glaring.

"Huh?" Ford asked, not following what the demon was getting at.

Bill sighed obnoxiously loud. "I want to _go _and get my _own stuff."_ Bill said. "You don't let me leave this stupid shack, can I at least leave your dumb basement?" He asked the other, annoyed with his limited space.

Ford looked down at the ground and at the wall, thinking about what Bill had said. In a way, he had a point. But he wasn't sure if it would work. He looked back at the demon, and Bill looked at him, with hope in his eyes.

"Well," Ford started, and Bill instantly nodded. "If you go upstairs, you _must _stay with me wherever you are going. I can't afford to have you missing around the shack."

Bill stared at the man, annoyed. "I can't do anything, sixer. What's the point of having to be wherever I go?" He asked.

Ford folded his arms and gave Bill the look of 'You-know-why'.

The demon sighed obnoxiously once again but agreed to the offer. At least he would be going somewhere other than the basement.

"I'll make you a deal," Ford started and Bill gave him a glare.

"Hey, _I _make the deals, remember?" He responded. Ford rolled his eyes and continued what he was saying.

"You can go upstairs now," Ford started, "But for today, you're just going to the kitchen. Okay?" He asked.

Bill put his hand out, motioning for the other man to shake it, but Ford shook his head.

"You can make deals without a hand shake, i'm not taking chances." Ford stated.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Why are you so overprotective?" He asked, not really looking for an answer.

And that's exactly what he received, no answer.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dipper and Mabel were outside, helping Stan bring supplies into the shack for his tours. It was bright outside, and Mabel had forgotten her sunglasses in the living room. Dipper had brought his, but unfortunately for him, Waddles took them while they were unattended to and sat on them, breaking the lens.

"Why does it have to be so bright when it's not even Summer?" Stan asked himself. The twins shrugged, not giving an answer. The temperature outside was warm, and was supposed to become cooler later in the day.

Mabel opened the gift shop door as Stan carried in a statue that looked like a chicken and a lizard combined as one.

"I still don't understand why Stan makes and buys fake stuff for the shack when he could show something real." Dipper commented.

Mabel shook her head. "I don't think he wants something like _that _happening again. Remember when you brought that creature from the woods and showed him off while Grunkle Stan was on vacation?" She reminded her brother. "It got out and almost destroyed the entire gift shop!" Mabel exclaimed.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "You were the one who let him out of his cage by giving him a break!" He stated, folding his arms.

Stan came back from inside the shop and looked at the twins. "Wait, wait," He started, as the twins looked up at him. "You said that all of the damage was caused by some bear that had lost her child, and that the bear wrecked the place looking for the cub!" He said.

Mabel laughed suspiciously, and Dipper made an excuse to quickly exit the situation.

Stan just shook his head, deciding to let go of the situation for now.

Dipper ran over to the front entrance of the Mystery Shack, and opened the door. He closed the door behind him and walked over to the kitchen, hoping to grab a snack before going with Wendy on an adventure.

He walked into the kitchen and stopped frozen in his tracks when he noticed more than one figure inside of the kitchen. Ford was sitting in a chair, reading a book, while another figure searched around in the fridge.

Ford noticed his nephew standing there and greeted him. "Good morning, Dipper." He said with a smile. Dipper didn't make eye contact with Ford, because he was watching the other figure in the room. Stanford noticed this behavior quickly and put down his book.

"You must be confused," Ford started, and Dipper nodded.

He walked over to his great uncle and folded his arms. "Why is _he _here?" Dipper asked, pointing at Bill. The demon heard the boy speaking, but decided to not communicate with the situation at the time. "Great uncle Ford?" He asked again.

"Well," Ford stated. "It's quite a long story." He stated.

Dipper shrugged, not caring how long it would take. He wanted to know why Bill was human, why he appeared to be trusted. He looked at his uncle and shrugged. "I have time." He commented.

Ford laughed and shook his head. "I can't give you exact answers, as most of them haven't been answered yet, and who knows when they will?" He started. He stood up and put a hand on his nephews shoulder. "What I _can _tell you, is that you _were _correct. Bill _is _human, and at this rate, I don't think there's anything that can be done about it. And, if i'm being honest, I don't know if we _should _do anything about it." He added.

Dipper shook his head. "You mean he's stuck like this? Why does he have to stay here? Can't you let him go somewhere away from us? He could kill us all in our sleep!" He shrieked.

Ford shook his head. "Don't you worry, Dipper. The only one who is at risk at night is myself. I lock the vending machine at night, so he can't get out and cause trouble." He assured his nephew. If anyone was going to get hurt, Ford would step up to save his family from being harmed, no matter what it took.

Dipper sighed. "I just wish there was a way to get him away from here _forever._" He commented. Under his breath he murmured "He's caused enough trouble." While Ford didn't seem to notice his whispering, Bill sure did.

Bill glared and slammed the fridge. "Hey, i'm _right here, _Pine tree!" The demon exclaimed, slamming the fridge door and putting his hands on his hips.

Dipper jumped at the loud slam of the refrigerator door, and looked up at Bill. The demon walked towards him, his hands behind his back. He got close to Dipper and looked straight down, mocking the boy with their height difference, and bragging with his eyes that he was taller.

The boy took a step back and glared at the demon, putting his hands in front of him in case of an attack of some sort. "You shouldn't be here!" Dipper exclaimed, taking one more step back.

Bill put his hands on his hips once again, and looked at Dipper like he was some idiot. "I'm not gonna kill you, kid. No need to back away like that." He told the boy. Dipper just shook his head. Ford shook his head and folded his arms, watching the two figure things out.

"You're still dangerous!" Dipper exclaimed again. He looked over onto the table and saw a butter knife. "Take one more step, and i'll use this!" The boy threatened. Bill laughed at the move Dipper had made and came close to grab the butter knife. He grabbed the top of the knife, unaware of where he had placed his hand as Dipper yanked it down and away from the demons grip. It gave slight slices to Bills fingers and palm. Bill hissed in delight at the pain that was inflicted.

Dipper raised an eyebrow, wondering why Bill enjoyed the pain so much. "You're insane!" He exclaimed once more, and Bill just shrugged.

"Have you not noticed that already?" The demon asked, smirking. Dipper looked over at Ford and called his name. Ford sighed, not taking huge action to the situation.

"Just calm down, Dipper," He started. His response to the situation surprised the boy. "Bill isn't a huge problem at the moment, so try not to get at each others throats until other problems are resolved, please?" He asked his nephew. "I'm sorry, Dipper. You're just going to have to get used to Bill for a little while." Ford stated, running a hand through his hair.

Dippers eyes got big. "How long is a 'little while'?" He asked his uncle. Ford opened his mouth to speak, but shut it, unsure of a proper response to the question.

"That's the problem, Dipper. I'm not sure yet. This will get figured out one way or another, I _can _tell you that." Ford tried to assure, but Dipper looked away from him and looked back up at Bill, glaring.

"Don't expect me to let go of everything you've done, Bill!" Dipper exclaimed for the fourth and final time.

Bill just laughed as Dipper headed towards the doorway. "You won't let go, it's like saying you're over Wendy." The demon commented, and Dipper growled, storming out of the room.

"That was... unnecessary." Ford commented, having nothing else to say about the situation.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Did you see him?" He asked, pointing behind him with his thumb. "He tried to threaten me with a _butter knife, _Stanford. A _butter knife!" _Bill said in disbelief. "After everything you've taught him, he chooses that as his combat weapon?" He added and scoffed.

"Careful." Ford stated. Bill rolled his eyes at the man. "Also, it would be better if you _didn't _damage your hand all week." He added.

Bill pouted and folded his arms, looking down at his hand and back at Ford. "The blade wasn't even sharp." He commented in disappointment. Ford rolled his eyes at the demons pouting, and picked up his book to read again. Bill made his way back to fridge, and decided on a leftover slice of pizza for breakfast.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the selection. "Really?" He muttered under his breath. Bill heard him and turned around, shutting the fridge.

"Is there a problem here, Fordsy?" Bill asked, taking a bite of the pizza slice that was in his hand, not bothering to heat it up.

Ford shook his head. "Whatever it takes to get us back down to the lab faster." He said. Bill sighed, and sat in a chair across from Ford, taking an obnoxious bite out of his pizza. Ford cringed at the behavior, and went back to reading his book.

Bill looked out the window and noticed Mabel playing outside with Waddles. He glared at the behavior and looked back at Ford. Bill used his spare hand and grabbed the top of his book, grabbing it out of his hands and shutting it. Ford exclaimed in annoyance, and grabbed for the book, but Bill extended his arm behind him so that it wasn't able to be reached.

Ford glared, waiting to get his book back. Bill just laughed at his annoyed state, which just annoyed Ford more.

"When can I go outside?" Bill asked Ford, looking out the window and back at him once again. He wanted to have more freedom, even though he didn't deserve it, as long as he was at the shack, what would be the harm?

Ford sighed and shook his head. "That will take a bit of time, Bill." He said. Bill groaned and dropped Fords book on the ground. Ford rolled his eyes, and got out of his chair to receive the book.

Bill 'oooh'ed. "What about dates?" He asked. Ford looked up in deep confusion to the question. Ford opened his mouth but quickly shut it, unsure of what Bill was getting at. Did he even want to know what Bill was talking about? He was probably just overthinking the strange question, but it w_as _out of the ordinary.

"Like... what if I find someone who loves me? Someone hot?" He asked again.

Ford shook his head and sighed. "I'm sorry, Bill. You can't be trusted outside of the shack right now," He started, but Bill stood up and slammed his hand on the desk.

"Why don't you just trust me already?" He exclaimed, shoving the rest of the pizza slice into his mouth and storming out of the kitchen.

Ford called the demons name and stood up, quickly following behind Bill to make sure he wouldn't cause trouble. How could Bill not understand that he couldn't be trusted after everything he's done?

**There's the end of this chapter! ****A new chapter will be up soon.**


	14. Threats of Escaping

**Wow, I think I had posted a chapter every day in the past three chapters! I figured I would take a couple days away from writing this to brainstorm ideas of what I could do in the future. If you have any suggestions, feel free to comment or PM me!**

**Well, here's chapter 14 of "Welcome Home"! **

As Bill was storming out of the kitchen, Ford set down his book on the table and called the demons name. Bill had taken off out of the kitchen, headed right towards the front door. He wanted to leave, he had been kept down in the basement for over a week, and he couldn't handle the boredom any longer.

"Bill!" Ford called again, rushing out of the kitchen after him. Bill didn't look back, and continued to walk at a fast pace with his fists clenched. Luckily for him, the front door had been left unlocked. He smirked and twisted the knob, opening the door. He turned around, now outside on the porch and noticed the other man following after him. Bill rolled his eyes and shut the door, closing the entrance to the outside world. Ford noticed the movement and rushed over to the knob, grasping onto it, trying to keep it open to get outside. Bill pressed his body on the wooden door, holding the knob in place best he could once he heard a _click!_ of the lock that closed the door.

Ford grunted and pushed _his _body onto the door from on the inside of the shack. Bill looked around as he struggled to keep the door closed, and noticed the door mat below his feet. He pushed his body weight on the door as he slid down to sit on the ground. He quickly grabbed the doormat and rolled it up as he felt pressure on the door from the other side increasing.

"Bill, don't fight me on this!" Ford tried, and got no response from the other man. He sighed, and glared at the door. He looked through the tiny window and didn't see the other man. He stopped pushing on the door, and examined around the window.

Ford put a hand in his hair. Was he angry? Was he afraid? Was he concerned? He didn't know how to feel. Ford called the demons name once more, again receiving no response. He ran through the house, away from the front door and making his way to the gift shop and_ its_ door. Thankfully, the gift shop door was not blocked, so Ford successfully got out of the shack.

He ran out to the parking lot of the tourist trap, looking left and right, seeing no one other than a woman with her young child who held a lollipop and sticker of a question mark.

Ford rushed around outside, looking around the outside of the shack. Bill was no where in sight. He felt a bit of guilt for making Bill feel the need to run away from the shack, but quickly brushed away the guilt. This had to have been something Bill had been planning. He _wanted _Ford to take him upstairs. He _wanted _Ford to keep his guard down, assuming everything was okay at the time. Bill _wanted _Ford to feel guilt, but what was the point of it?

As Ford continued to search, Bill had gone out to take a walk in the forest after escaping. He had seen in films that if you roll up a doormat and put it under the bottom of a door, it could potentially block the door. In reality, Bill just got lucky that it was positioned correctly enough to have blocked the door so well, but he just assumed he was awesome and thought nothing more of it.

"Sucker," Bill started, his hands in his pockets. He looked around at the trees and laughed to himself sarcastically. "Sixer never wanted to help me, he clearly just wanted revenge after Weirdmageddon-" Bill continued, about to pass under a tree that had fallen.

As Bill walked underneath the large, dead tree, he was stopped and startled by a jump scare that had appeared in front of him. Ford had made his way atop the tree and jumped down to the ground in front of the demon just as he was passing through.

"You know, I'm not much of the revenge type," Ford started folding his arms and pointing at the other man with a finger. "And no matter how much you deserve a taste of your own medicine, I won't be one to inflict vengeance." He stated, with a small smirk plastered upon his face.

Bill took a step back with his hands in front of him. Ford took a step forward towards the demon and took hold of Bills left wrist with his right arm. The demon released a short gasp at the movement and looked up, ready for some sort of attack from the other man. Bill flinched and squeezed his eyes shut.

Ford looked at the other man's facial expressions and movement, and started a laugh that evolved into a sarcastic scoff.

"Do you honestly believe I'm going to hurt you?" Ford asked the other man. Bill opened his eyes and took another step back, Ford doing the same, his hand still gripping Bills wrist.

"Why wouldn't you?" Bill asked the human with a scoff. "I hurt you." He stated.

Ford sighed. "Because I'm not like you, Bill. I don't seek revenge out of every being that has done wrong to me." He said, looking into the demons yellow eyes. Bill glared at the comment the other man had just made, but accepted the fact that he _did _tend to act in that manner.

Bill, too, looked into Fords eyes for a few seconds, and broke the eye contact, jolting his wrist away from Ford and walking off.

Ford shook his head at the sudden movement, as if he had been in thought for a moment, and followed after Bill.

"Where are you going?" Ford asked. Bill looked back and glared at the other man. Ford squinted his eyes at the not-so-strange facial expression, and the two continued walking.

To Fords surprise, Bill had walked back to the Mystery Shack. The fact that Bill willingly came back, instead of having to argue with him about it, made Ford a bit more relieved. The two didn't speak much on the way out of the forest, nor at the front porch of the gift shop. Ford questioned the demons silent behavior, but decided not to speak openly about it. It was luck enough that Bill hadn't run off again, and he didn't want to change that and send the other man attempting to run away again.

The two were quiet until they got inside the elevator down to the basement. Bill looked at Ford and gave a small glare of warning.

"You should learn to trust me a bit more now that I hardly have any power, sixer." Bill commented. Ford didn't speak or give a comment back, instead he replaced words with a sigh.

Bill folded his arms and turned to face the other man. "I don't have much power, I can't do anything to hurt your family with magic, so maybe you should trust me more so I don't run off again."

Ford looked down at the ground, then turned his head to look at Bill. "I trusted that you _wouldn't _run off, and you couldn't even do that." Ford stated. Bill sighed obnoxiously, and Ford put up a finger, motioning that he wasn't finished speaking.

"However..." Ford started again. "You _are _correct. I will be more aware of what you do, and I hope that in time I can learn to trust you better." Ford said, being honest with his words.

The elevator gave a noise indicating that they had reached the destination. Bill made a mix of a smirk and a smile at Ford and reached his hand over to Fords hair, ruffling his hand in it. Ford looked down, trying to hide his face from the other man, afraid of what the motion would have done to him. "That's my Fordsy!" Bill joked, smirking at the other mans uncomfortable facial expression. Bill walked off and headed towards his makeshift bedroom.

Ford sighed again and watched the demon leave the room. He stepped out of the elevator and collapsed into an office chair, a hand holding up his head on one of the armrests. He didn't much understand _why _he was more concerned than stern with the fact that Bill had run off. He had earlier assumed that it was fear of the town that Bill had run off, but now Ford was anxious that he was more concerned for the demon himself.

_Concerned for an old friend. _That h_ad _to be it...

**There's the end of chapter 14! I felt the need to write this chapter in this way, I really want this story to evolve, so I figured now would be the time to do so. Ford is concerned for his old friend, but more importantly...**

**He _cares? _Oh noes...**

**New chapter up soon! **


	15. Trip down memory lane

**This chapter has a lot of backstory to it in the second half, including a lot of Fords thoughts during his past with Bill. The second half won't have a ton of dialog, but I feel that this is necessary and will pay off for the story. I hope you enjoy this chapter!**

**Here's chapter 15 (:**

Bill had escaped just hours ago, then willingly came back to the shack. _Why? _Ford asked himself. _Why didn't he attempt to run away once again?_ Was all he could think about. He needed something to clear his mind of _why. _

_Why._

He stood up from his chair and walked over to the elevator, heading inside and pressing the button to head up to the vending machine. The gift shop had just closed early as it was reaching 3:00 in the afternoon.

Ford walked through the _Employees only _door and saw Dipper and Mabel on the couch. Mabel was knitting a new sweater as Dipper watched a game show. Ford greeted them both, and they both said "Hello." Not bothering to look up from what they were doing. Ford shrugged at the behavior, and headed towards the kitchen.

He walked over to the kitchen table and grabbed his book that he had left behind in the morning. Hopefully a good book would help clear his mind. He opened the book to get to the correct chapter he had left on, but there was a slight dividing between pages in the middle of the book. There was a small piece of paper that was folded up. Had he been marking something important? Ford didn't remember doing that.

Ford picked up the piece of paper and set the book down on the table once again, sitting in one of the chairs. He unfolded the scrap, and realized the paper was a note. He looked at it in confusion and read the words that had been written in pen:

_Hey sixer, You should consider getting that portal up and running. Exploring cures boredom, ya' know! _

Ford just sighed and shook his head. He folded the note back up and opened a pocket in his coat to place it in.

Meanwhile, Bill was in his room, digging through his drawer that kept an assortment of shirts. He chose to be very picky about the shirts that were given to him, and refused to wear most of them. Most of the shirts were basic colors since Ford had no idea what to get. Bill wanted to get some new shirts, but how?

Once Ford had made his way back down to the lab, he set his book down on his desk and sat down. He opened the book and watched the cover hit the table as he opened it, noticing a childish drawing of a portal with an upside down triangle drawn on it. It didn't take Ford long to realize that it was another note from Bill to encourage Ford into re-opening the portal. He folded the drawing and put it inside his coat along with the note that he found inside his book.

Ford flipped to the correct chapter he was currently on inside his book, and pressed the button on his reading lamp, to notice the light appearing with less of a glow than usual. He raised an eyebrow, the bulb couldn't have been running out. He had designed a bulb just like the one inside of the kitchen. It wasn't possible for the bulb to burn out, especially after only a few months.

Confused, Ford ducked his head and looked up at the bulb, squinting his eyes at the light and turning it off. When the light had turned off he could easily notice there was yet _another _note, taped onto the light, causing the light to have been slightly blocked.

He looked at the note with an unamused look on his face and unfolded it, not surprised by it's message:

_Seriously, consider opening the portal again, Fordsy! What's the worst that could happen? _

Ford glared at the note and considered crumpling it into a ball and chucking it at the wall. The shook away the thought and refolded it, putting it into his coat pocket along with all the other notes. He got up and looked around, reminded of the demon by the notes. He was no where in sight, and Ford folded his arms, curious to where he had gone.

He got his answer quickly after hearing a loud _THUD!_ in Bills makeshift bedroom, and the loud yelp the demon made audible. Fords eyes opened, unsure of what had happened. He walked a bit closer and looked through the opened door, only to see Bill laughing in both pain and pleasure, clutching his foot and squeezing it as he rolled on the ground.

Ford rolled his eyes and let a short laugh go by at the behavior. _Why does Bill enjoy pain so much? _Ford thought to himself. Bill stood up and walked out of his room, limping slightly as he slowed his laughing. He looked up and noticed Fords confused look on his face.

"The drawer fell out," Bill explained. "Hit me right on my toes!" He said, lifting his right foot and pointing at it, showing off the enthusiasm in his voice. Ford just nodded, not knowing how to respond.

"I'm fine, thanks for asking." Bill stated, folding his arms.

Ford nodded once more. "Oh, I know." He responded, not bothering to hold back a snicker. Bill rolled his eyes and smirked.

"Not bad, Stanford Pines. Not bad." Bill half complimented.

Ford smiled for a split second, then stopped, noticing his facial expression. "Um, does the drawer need to be fixed?" He asked Bill, unsure of what condition it was in.

"I don't think it's broken." Bill stated, but moved out of the way as Ford passed by. He looked inside the room and noticed the drawer had, indeed, fallen out of its slot.

Ford walked over and picked up the fallen drawer. He cringed at the way the shirts had been unfolded and messed up. He lifted the drawer and slid it back into place. "It's an easy fix," Ford commented. He opened his mouth to say something, but shut it, not sure of what else to say.

Bill pretended not to hear him and commented, "Ol' Stanley could fire Soos, you would be a decent replacement for the job." He said to Ford with a smirk.

Ford stared at Bill_ unamused. "I thought you wanted the portal to get up and running, how would I be able to manage two things at once?" Ford asked, sarcastically._

_Bill smirked and folded his arms, leaning on the wall. "Ah," He started. "So you got my idea?" He asked, trying to hide the sarcasm._

_Ford rolled his_ eyes and stood up. "I got _three _of them, actually." He stated.

Bill snickered and looked at the other man as he left the room. "Oh, theres more where that came from!" Bill commented, pointing to Fords room he had been sleeping in recently. On the door, yet another note was taped to it. Yet _another reminder. _

Ford rolled his eyes and took off the note, entering his room and shutting the door. Bill snickered to himself and went back to his room, As well.

He walked over to his bed and took off his jacket, sitting down and thinking about the cons of recharging the portal. He _couldn't. _He knew he couldn't. _It's too dangerous, too much of a risk._ He continued to tell himself. For some odd reason, all these notes from Bill, telling him to reopen the portal were beginning to make Ford feel somewhat controlled. He couldn't listen to Bill. He couldn't open the portal. No, he _wouldn't. _

Feeling as if he were being controlled reminded Ford of his past; Back when he was young, back when Bill was in his triangular form, back when Ford thought of Bill as his friend, and when he trusted the demon enough to_ literally_ let him take control of him by taking over his body.

And what a _fool _he had been. Trusting the demon as if they had been friends- so Ford thought. He kicked himself for just how idiotic he had been, becoming friends with Bill in the past, and Ford hated himself even more for eventually becoming silently.._ attached_ to him. He scoffed just thinking about what type of emotions passed his mind while trusting Bill.

Ford regretted every bit of his past. He wished he hadn't fallen for Bills tricks. He wished he hadn't fallen for the false kindness Bill had shown. He wished he had never fallen _for Bill. _

Yes, he regretted every bit...

Nearly.

_No,_ Ford thought to himself. _Don't think this way. __That was many years ago. Don't fall for this again. All emotions of affection are in the past. _He continued to tell himself these four statements in his head, but it was seeming as if it had no use. He knew his head was in an attempt to take a trip down memory lane, and he didn't like it.

But this is the present. This is not the Bill that Ford had once thought he had known. This is not the nice, patient act Bill had pulled back in the past.

But at the same time, this _also _wasn't the Bill that Ford had known just a few months ago. Bill had become human, he wasn't just a triangle anymore. Deep down, Bill _needed _help. He needed _Fords _help. That's what the two both knew, but they both refused to admit it.

Ford glared at the ground for a moment and shook his head, running hands through his hair. He couldn't let his past take over the present. And how did it seem like he was falling for this trick once again...

And so easily?

None of this made sense. Ford grunted and stood up, walking towards his door to go upstairs.

Bill had his door slightly cracked open, and watched as Ford started towards the elevator. He snickered and put a hand over his mouth, not to draw attention to himself. Once he saw Ford successfully exit the laboratory and go up the elevator, he walked out of his room and snuck over to Fords makeshift bedroom. He smirked and opened the door, hardly able to wait to see the other mans facial expressions when he came back down.

Bill closed Fords door like it had been left as he crept over to his dresser. He opened the top drawer and noticed an assortment of shirts folded up into small piles that had filled up the drawer. Bill reached his hand in and dug through the garments, messing up the way they had been folded, and how they had been separated. Half of the pile had made its way to the floor as Bill continued to dig through the shirts.

Eventually, he decided on a top that Ford often wore. The other man had liked the shirt so much that he owned two of the same one. Bill snickered once more and held it up high, examining it for a short moment before deciding on trying it on himself.

About twenty minutes had passed, and Ford stood in the elevator once again with a cup of coffee, heading back down to the laboratory. He watched the elevator door open and took a few steps out until putting himself in a frozen position, unintentionally dropping his mug that the coffee had been in, and stopped himself to halt as he saw the other man.

"Bill?" Ford started, not knowing what else to say.

The demon turned around and wore a smile on his face. He folded put his hands on his hips and watched the other mans confused facial expression.

"Hiya, Sixer!" Bill greeted, giving a short wave and a larger smile. While Ford was gone upstairs, Bill had gone though his shirts and tried on Fords Maroon-colored turtleneck sweater. The shirt was a bit baggy on Bill, but he didn't seem to mind.

While Ford didn't notice his mouth hanging open in hesitation, Bill laughed and clasped his hands together, putting them up by his head and tilting his head close to his hands.

"What do you think?" Bill asked in only half-seriousness.

Ford folded his arms, still unsure of what to say of the situation. "Bill, you have your own-" He tried.

"I like this one better." Bill stated, interrupting the other. "Can I keep it?" He asked.

Ford sighed, a bit annoyed. "Why?" Was all he could really asked.

Bill scoffed sarcastically and let his hands fall to his sides as he started at Ford like he was an idiot. "Because I _like it, _Sixer! Otherwise I wouldn't be asking." He pointed out.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and closed his eyes, irritated. Still, to Bills surprise, he agreed. "I suppose." Ford said to Bill, and the demon cried out in glee.

"This reminds me of the time you borrowed one of my bowties for that one science event in New York." Bill began, smirking. Fords eyes shot open at the demon about to mention a certain event he wished to forget.

"We don't speak of that," Ford stated, which made Bill burst out laughing. Ford glared at the action and walked away, not wanting to hear any more of this soon-to-be-discussion.

He didn't wish to have two trips down memory lane in one day, but unfortunately for Ford, that wish wasn't granted.

**There's the end of chapter 15! Like I said, In the second half, there wasn't a ton of dialog, besides the bit where Bill decided to mess around with Ford by trying on one of his sweaters. Haha!**

**I hope you guys enjoyed, new chapter up soon, but I can't promise it will be up tomorrow. I'm not exactly sure what to write, but hopefully i'll think of something? If you guys have any ideas, this would be a perfect time to share them!**

**Also, this story is almost at 1000 VIEWS! Can you believe that? I can't! I'm surprised this story is getting some attention from others, it's nice to know I'm writing something that other people are interested in. I've noticed there aren't very many Billford fanfictions, and that most of the fanbase for this show ship Billdip (I personally don't like the pairing of Bill and Dipper, it just seems... off to me. With Bill and Ford however, there's a lot of cannon stuff with their past that can be used in writing.) I'm considering doing some side stories and shorts and uploading them along the way, whether they will be related to this story's timeline, I'm not sure. It may vary from time to time. **

**I hope you had a good day, and if you didn't, maybe this made it better. **


	16. Failing to forget

**HEY! It's Whinkx From the future! April 15th of 2020, to be exact. Before this begins, I just wanted to say that I had made these chapters BEFORE I had ever gotten the chance to read Journal 3. In these next chapters, the object will be called a "Rubik's Cube" Instead of a "Cubik's Cube" Because I had no idea that those were the names in the Gravity Falls universe. I'm sorry. **

* * *

**I know this might not be too interesting for you guys, but this story JUST HIT 1,000 views as of October 8th, 2019! For me, I think that's really cool (: **

**Also, CONGRATULATIONS to JakeTheViper for decoding the message in the authors note while this chapter was being written! I'm glad someone figured it out :D**

**There are minor mentions of blood in this chapter.**

**Here's chapter 16!**

Bill had been laying down in the middle of the cold floor for the past hour, doing absolutely nothing. He was bored, and wanted something to occupy himself with. He didn't feel like taking out his dresser's drawer again, even though it would annoy Ford. Sure, it would be nice to see the look on the other man's face, but he didn't feel like doing that at the moment. He didn't know _what _he felt like doing, he just wanted to something productive.

He looked at the elevator and noticed that Stanford had been gone for quite a while now. He had trusted Bill enough to stay down in the lab until he got back from the store. Sure enough, to Bill's own surprise, he had obeyed and did not go up to the shack.

But the boredom was beginning to eat at him. He considered going up to the living room, mainly to see the look on Dipper and Mabel's faces, or Ford's brother, Stanley. He considered it, then denied it. He would only get yelled at, and-

-wait.

He would get yelled at. He would get on other people's nerves. Bill plastered a wide grin across his face and sat up. He gave it one final though, and shrugged, not really caring what the consequences would be.

He went up the elevator and up the stairs, snickering as he opened the vending machine. No one was inside the gift shop, so it would be easy for now not to be seen.

Bill walked into the "Employees only" door, and found himself standing in the living room. He smirked and drew his eyes to the TV, noticing that it was not occupied. He walked over to the couch and sat down. The screen was off, so Bill looked for the remote.

The remote wasn't hard to find, because Stan would always keep it on the arm rest. Bill lay back in the chair and pressed the red button on the remote control, causing the TV to light up. He cringed at the sudden sound, but realized quickly that it was only the TV that had made the noise. He quickly got the hang of the main controls and flipped through multiple channels. To his defeat, nothing looked interesting.

He stood up, not bothering to turn off the TV, and walked off to the kitchen. He noticed a few apples laid down on the table. His eyes lit up at the sight of it. He walked over and grabbed one of the honey crisp apples and put it up to his mouth, taking a large bit out of it.

Bill forced the apple away from his mouth, unamused at the texture. It wasn't soft, and it felt strange. The sweet flavor filled his mouth, but he cringed after tasting another taste, something that he knew was not part of the apple.

He yanked the apple away and spit the food out of his mouth. It landed on the table, and Bill looked down at it. There were chucks of apple scattered in an area, and a bit of blood atop of it. He noticed the taste was still in his mouth. He looked into a spoon and noticed one of his teeth to the left of his mouth had fallen out.

It has gotten loose the day before, as he continuously punched himself in the face for amusement. The apple seemed to have knocked it out.

The small blood flow had began to come to a stop, and Bill pouted at the recovery. He picked up his tooth from on the table and shoved it into his pocket snickering. Surely he could pull a prank on someone with it.

_I'd like to see Sixer freak out when he sees this laying around_ somewhere. Bill thought to himself, and left the kitchen, not bothering to clean up his mess.

Bill made his way to the front door and opened it. The door was no longer blocked by the carpet, as Bill had done the day before. He walked outside and shut the door behind him. When he looked around at the scenery he noticed little children laughing. It didn't sound like Mabel and Dipper. No, the laughter sounded _too _young.

He followed the sound and found that he stood nearby the gift shop, realizing it had opened since he had passed through. He saw Stan in his normal work attire along with Soos. While Stan and Ford were away at sea, Soos had become the new "Mr. Mystery". Stan was proud of Soos, but figured out he still had a lot to learn. Stanley made himself Soos's mentor for the time being. Soos had no problem with it, he was happy to pick up some extra advice.

Bill looked around and saw a young boy fall down from the steps of the gift shop. He snickered at the young boys reaction to the pain, but was stopped when a figure tapped his shoulder.

The demon turned around, alarmed, noticing a young woman who appeared to be in her mid twenties standing before him with a map.

"Sir? Hello," She greeted, smiling at Bill. "I was hoping you could give me directions to Pendleton?" She said, pointing to her map. Bill looked at the map and squinted his eyes at all the small lines and dots scattered around the paper.

He cleared his throat and thought for a moment. "Umm..." He started, continuing his thought. He tried to recall places he had visited back when he was in his original form.

"Pendleton is about 200 miles from Portland." Bill stated, shrugging his shoulders. That's all he _really _knew. He wasn't sure of how to read that map, as it was made up of lines, dots, graphs, and colors.

The woman hummed and nodded her head. "Really? A stranger said Pendleton was as close to Portland as he knew. I'm really just trying to get home." She said, laughing for a moment.

Bill sighed. "I'm not much help, sorry lady." He folded his arms and looked over at the mystery shack door. "Perhaps the old man in there would be of more assistance," He stated pointing to the gift shop.

"And while you're in there, you may be interested in purchasing one of many unique pieces of merchandise?" Bill added, a smile plaster along his face.

The woman nodded. "Great, thank you!" She said, heading towards the shack.

Bill watched the woman head over and folded his arms. What was the point in helping? He could have gotten the woman totally lost. His thoughts were inturupted by an arm resting on his shoulder. He looked to his side and jumped at the sight of Stanley standing before him, laughing.

"Hey, slick! You'd make a great employee at my shack. If you can reel in customers _that easily, _you've got yourself a job!" He stated, putting his hands on his hips, lifting his eyepatch and winking at the other man.

Bill laughed awkwardly, and took a step back, hoping to get out of the situation before he couldn't do anything about it.

Unfortunately... it was too late for that.

"Hey.." Stan started, squinting his eyes. "I think I-" He continued, and jumped back a bit at the realization of who he had willingly encountered.

"You!" He exclaimed, pointing his finger at Bill. "How did you get out here? Aren't you supposed to be down in the lab... 'ya know, _forever?_"

Bill rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "You know, _old guy,_ I may be mischievous, but I'm not some lab rat." He stated and glared.

Stan glared back at the other and shook his head. "With everything you've done, you might as well be." He shot back, not caring about his harsh tone towards the demon.

Bill laughed sarcastically. "Oh, _please._ I hear that enough from your dumb brother. Don't even bother pulling _that one _out of the bag."

Stan growled and pointed his cane up onto the bottom of Bill's chin, causing the demon to lift his nose up in the air to avoid the object.

"Look, wise guy, my nerdy brother may be strict with 'ya, but that's _nothing _to what _I'll _do if I see you causing trouble at any time. You stay away from the kids, and you'll be lucky if I cut you some slack." Stan told the demon.

Bill scoffed and grabbed the cane, forcing it down onto the ground and away from his chin. He had forced it more rough than intended, and the wooden 8-ball cane forced down onto Stan's foot. The man glared and held his foot, exclaiming in pain, then stomped his foot down and grabbed the other man's shoulders.

"Go back to where you should be. Sixer said you shouldn't be up here anyway." Stan stated. Bill didn't move and Stan hissed.

"GO!" He yelled out to the other, and Bill shoved Stan before walking off back to the shack.

Stan growled and took a large step forward, eager to give the demon a piece of his mind, or... fists. He was stopped by his name being called by the handyman, Soos.

"Mr. Pines!" Soos exclaimed, waving an arm, motioning for Stan to come over to his location. Stan took one final look at Bill and scoffed, but instead headed towards Soos.

"Your brother came back, he's over there trying to figure some device out." Soos informed Stan once he had stopped in front of him. Stan looked over the other man's shoulders and noticed Ford leaning against his car, with a strange device in his hands. Stan nodded his head and walked towards his brother.

Stan snuck up behind his brother and extended his arm from across the other side of the car, calling Fords name which caused the other to jump in surprise.

"Whatcha' got there, pointdexter?" Stan asked his brother. Ford looked at his brother, annoyed of how easily he had been jump scared.

Ford showed the strange device to his brother and looked at it again. Stan reached his hand out to grab it, but Ford pulled it away. Stan rolled his eyes at the reaction and looked at his brother.

"Well?" Stan asked again. "_What is it?_"

"It's a mechanical device used to read emotions. It's not finished yet, and I'm not sure if it is completely functional yet. From what I know, it can read sadness and anger. I am still unsure if it can read any other emotions." Ford informed his brother, and looked down at the device, examining a couple of wires that were poking out a side of the gun.

Stan folded his arms. "It looks like a gun or somethin'. Does it do anything to hurt people?" He asked, looking behind him and seeing no sight of Bill.

Ford shook his head. "No, Stanley. That wouldn't make much sense." He stated. "Basically, you point at the person you are trying to read, and you look in this screen that faces you when you are pointing it. This screen will tell you just what emotion the person you are reading is currently feeling."

Stan shook his head and laughed. "That sounds useless." He stated.

Ford rolled his eyes and looked at his brother again. "I figured if I finish it successfully, I can use it to get more answers from Bill. He's been quiet recently, and I'm stuck on my research."

Stan nodded, agreeing. "If he can't give you all the answers you need, what's the point of keepin' him around the house?"

Ford looked up and glared at his brother. "_My _house." He reminded, and didn't fail to notice Stan's eye roll. "He's not a _machine, _Stanley. Some things he may _not _know. I just don't always know for sure if he is being honest with his lack of information, and that's where this device comes in handy."

Ford's brother looked at the device once again. "What're ya' gonna call it?" He asked, pointing to the object in his Ford's hand.

Stanford shrugged. "I don't have a specific name for it, but it may be wise to leave out '_gun_' in the name. Otherwise, it may alarm Bill and continuously change his emotions to fear."

"What's it to you?" Stan asked, not caring about the demons emotions _whatsoever._

Ford scoffed at his brother and folded his arms. "Stanley, if he is feeling fear, how am I supposed to obtain accurate results?" He asked.

Stan just shrugged. "What's it to _you?" _He asked, reversing the question. Ford shook his head and stared at his brother.

"Are you honestly asking me that?" Ford questioned.

Stan laughed at the reaction and gave his brother a pat on the back. "Try not to stay up all night workin' on that gizmo, pointdexter."

Ford watched his brother walk off back to the gift shop. He opened the door of the gift shop and scolded Wendy for placing the merchandise incorrectly, 'speaking' loud enough that you could hear it from outside. Ford walked away from the car and headed towards to the front door to prevent customers questioning the project in his hands.

He stood on the front porch of the shack and opened the door, shutting it and heading towards the kitchen.

Ford stepped foot into the kitchen and walked towards the table, about to set his emotion-reading device on the table. Before it touched the table, Ford jumped back and wrapped the gizmo in his arms, confused and disgusted what was laying on the table.

He grabbed a paper towel and cleaned up the mess that had been left behind. He assumed it was Stanley, as he had a habit of uncleanliness at times. He opted to drop the situation for the time being, as it wasn't of much importance.

The device was set on a chair before Ford went to wash his hands. He turned on the water and it started off cold. He gave the water a moment to warm up, putting a couple of dispensable drops of soap on his palms before putting his hands in the water.

Meanwhile, Bill had returned to the living room instead of going back down to the lab as Stan had instructed while his brother had been gone. He heard water running in the kitchen, and scrambled off the one-seated couch, tripping on a pile of pillows and hitting his elbow on the armrest. He hissed in delight through clenched teeth and got on his knees, rising up from off the ground. A piece of string that had been made into a large circle and tied by Mabel earlier in the day wrapped around Bill's foot.

The demon didn't realize the string that had made its way to his ankle, and crawled behind the couch after hearing the sink stop running. He knew it was Ford that had been in the kitchen, the demon saw him come in the door. Thankfully, Ford hadn't seen him in the living room, so Bill assumed he could get away with his hiding spot behind the couch.

Ford walked into the living room and noticed the TV had been left on. He shook his head and sighed. He noticed a line of pink yarn on the ground, scattered a good length away from the yarn ball it had come from. He grabbed the ball of yarn and began rolling the stringback into the ball. It didn't take long for the string to tug a bit.

He raised an eyebrow and wrapped the string towards the couch, walking closer and closer. He stepped on a Chipacker. he lifted his foot and scoffed, seeing the small, crushed bits that were spread out. _What was up with his family today? Not cleaning up messes, and not bothering to turn off devices. _

_Devices. _

Bill cringed, realizing there was a string wrapped around his ankle. He was quick to remove it as Ford rushed out of the living room to retrieve his emotion-reading device he had forgotten. Once Bill had removed the string off his ankle. He stood up and stretched his back after being huddled behind the couch in an uncomfortable position.

He looked around the room and figured now would be a good time to leave the living room before Ford came back. Unfortunately... It was too late for that.

Ford turned the corner and jumped back a bit, putting a hand in his hair after being startled by the demon standing in the living room.

"Bill, what do you think you're doing up here?" Ford questioned, stern with his words.

Bill just shrugged innocently, making eye contact with the other man. "I was watching TV, what do you think I was doing?" He asked sarcastically. He pointed out the TV that had been turned off by the other man.

Ford glared at Bill and shook his head, not caring about the story at the moment.

"You disobeyed me," Ford started. "I left you alone and figured you could handle it."

Bill pouted and put his hands on his hips. "Hey, I lasted _one whole hour _down in that basement of yours!" He stated. "Besides, I got bored."

"That's not a very good excuse. At the very least, you could have _waited _for me to return before coming upstairs." Ford began. "And _yes, _I understand boredom. And I'm sorry if you felt bored while I was gone,-"

"_Woah, _Sixer! Don't go jumping to conclusions and making up a little conspiracy theory." Bill scolded, smirking sarcastically and putting his hands above his head as if forming a rainbow when he said 'conspiracy theory'.

Ford raised an eyebrow and Bill scoffed, laughing for a moment. He looked at Ford, who was taken aback by the way he had spoken so suddenly.

"Don't go thinking I _missed _you. I'm even more bored when you _are _around, then I can't do anything without getting scolded." Bill said.

"Wait, _what?" _Ford questioned, not really wanting an answer to the half-question he had spoken aloud.

Bill put his arms straight in front of him, clenching his hands into fists, and lifting one hand over his forehead dramatically. "Take me away, Sixer!" He commanded, as if he were some prisoner that had gotten out of his cage.

Ford shook his head at the behavior, and Bill snickered. He folded his arms as Ford opened his mouth to speak.

"As I was about to address," Ford began once again. "While I was in town, I figured I would pick _this_ up." He stated, reaching into his lab coat pocket and taking a square object out.

Bill scoffed at the object. "What, you picked it up just to get back at me with _shapes _now that I'm not an all-knowing triangle anymore?"

Ford shook his head and smirked at the way the other had addressed the object. "_No,_" He stated, saying the word half-sarcastically. "It's called a Rubik's cube. I figured it would keep you occupied for a while. They can take a while to complete if you don't know the tricks to them." He said.

Bill walked towards Ford and took the object from his hand. It was a square that was made of other small squares.

"What, do you take the little things apart and put them back together again? Lame!" Bill commented.

Ford shook his head and pointed at the different colored sides. "No, you mix up the colors by twisting the sides, and then you attempt to match up a certain color all on one side."

Bill raised an eyebrow, and Ford chuckled, taking the cube from the demon's hand. Bill folded his arms but watched the old man twist the colors around.

"Hey!" Bill exclaimed, scrambling to take the toy back after witnessing Ford mix up the colors. "What the _heck, _Sixer?"

Ford rolled his eyes. "Try and match one side with the same colors." He commanded.

Bill glared down at the object, but obeyed. He twisted the cube a few times and successfully got four red sections to match up. He twisted one side right and lost one of the red sides, only leaving three reds on the same side.

The demon sighed, annoyed. "This thing is impossible!" He complained. Ford laughed and shook his head.

"It just takes some practice." Ford stated, smiling to replace his laughter, trying not to offend the other.

Bill shook his head. "How do I practice something I don't know how to do?" He questioned.

Ford sighed and shrugged his shoulders. "You _know _how to use it now, all that's left to do is solve it correctly, try practicing strategies." He said, pointing at the cube. "It takes time, believe me. It took me over an hour to solve just _one side_ completely before I learned the tricks to it.

Bill's eyes widened. "Teach me those tricks, _please _Sixer!" Bill pleaded, about ready to get down on his knees to show that he wasn't acting.

Ford smirked and looked at the other man. "You'll just have to take some time and figure it out yourself, won't you? You _are_ all-knowing, aren't you? " He questioned, jokingly.

Bill glared. "I _will _figure it out! I don't need you! I don't need your stupid tricks to this stupid cube!" He exclaimed.

Ford tilted his head and smirked. "Really?" He challenged. "Prove it." He said, and motioned Bill to follow him.

Bill sighed dramatically once again and followed Ford back to the lab, looking down at the Rubik's cube, attempting to solve it.

"Thishc is stupid." He mumbled, as the two had gotten into the elevator after heading down the stairs.

Ford looked at Bill, confused. "Say that again?" He said.

Bill turned to the old man and glared. "Are you finally of need of hearing aids, sixer? I _said _thishc is _stupid!" _He exclaimed.

Ford looked at the demon, clearly noticing the way that he failed to say 'this' at times. He had only noticed it once and a while, but decided not to think much of it.

"Open your mouth really quick," Ford commanded.

Bill looked up at the other and glared. "What are you gonna do, shove a rock down my throat?" He questioned.

Ford rolled his eyes and took a step closer to Bill. The demon deicded to obey the request, and Ford quickly noticed a tooth at the side of his right cheek was missing. He remembered the mess of apple chunks and small drops of blood on the kitchen table he had cleaned up earlier, and realized that it had been from Bill.

"You knocked a tooth out?" Ford questioned.

Bill shook his head. "I bit into an apple that had been left on the kitchen table and ate it. I spit out the apple when I felt my tooth come loose." He admitted. Ford nodded, believing the story. He didn't know where the missing tooth had gone, and he most likely didn't _want _to know.

"Ugh, I don't think I'll forget that feeling of losing that tooth anytime soon. Out of all the pain I've usually given myself, _that _was _not _fun." Bill admitted again. That was no lie that the demon had told.

**There's the end of this chapter! Again, I'm sorry for the minor wait in posting this chapter, the next chapter should be up within the next week, depending on how fast I want to upload. If you guys have any ideas for the story, I'm open to them! Any suggestions are appreciated (:**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter :3**

**(As a side note for the small group of people who bother to read these author's notes, I have begun a small side project for any times I get writers block on this story, or any times I feel like writing something else. It's on my profile called "Mabel and the Hogg!". Each chapter is a different short story of fun little moments between Mabel and Waddles! The first one I have posted was about Waddles annoying Stan, and, fortunately for him, being too cute to be scolded seriously by Mabel.)**

**Bye for now!**


	17. Object? STOLEN!

**Okay, this chapter is where this story REALLY starts to get intense. If you are attempting to read this chapter without reading the last chapter, I highly suggest you read the last chapter first so that you understand what is happening.**

**I wonder if the beginning of this chapter is relatable for anyone, the way that Bill thinks about the rubiks cube? I'll admit, I can relate to the one-square-left problem that he gets here the most out of all of his troubles with it :/**

**As a warning, there is minor use of language in a part of this chapter. **

**Here's chapter 20!**

_Hours._

Bill had been working on this puzzle for _Hours _now, and he _still _couldn't solve just one side! It was beginning to make him go crazy. What was this? What is the point? Every now and then, he would get _oh so close _to solving one side by matching all nine colors. But _no,_ he would get eight of the nine colors correct on a side, and would become deals of his moves. If he make a wrong turn, everything would be mixed up all over again.

What were the tricks?

Stanford had mentioned something about tricks earlier, but what _were _they? Bill had been sitting in the same chair for longer than he knew. It as now reaching 1:00 in the _morning. _

_Morning already? _Bill though to himself. Ford had gone to sleep hours ago, confident that Bill would put away the cube and get some sleep. The way Bill was focused on this cube proved otherwise.

_I could go wake Sixer up and ask for the tricks. _Bill thought to himself. He stood up from the chair and headed towards Ford's makeshift room, assuming this was a good idea. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door open in a quiet maner, surprised that the door didn't make a noise when it was opened.

Bill crept over to Ford's bed and noticed there as a lamp. He figured it would be best not to turn on the lamp at the moment, even though Bill would love to see the grumpy look on the others face. Bill took a deep breath and set the cube on Ford's side table, putting his hands above the man and forcing them down on him while yelling "SIXER!"

Ford felt panic at the way he had been awoken, and shot up straight from his pillow and sitting on his bed, looking around the room only to realize he didn't have his glasses on. He reached to his left and got his glasses from his side table that held his lamp and a small drawer.

He quickly applied the glasses in front of his eyes and looked at the other man in the room, still alarmed me concerned for what was going on.

"_Bill!_ it's 1:00 in the morning!" He started. Bill nodded and turned on the other mans side lamp without giving context of reaction to Ford's statement. "What's wrong?" He asked Bill.

Bill grabbed the rubiks cube from off the table and held it in front of Ford with a smile plastered along his face. Ford sighed. "What _about it, _Bill" he questioned.

"You said you know the tricks. So teach me some!" Bill stated, forcefully.

Ford just rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Can't this wait until later? When I'm awake?" He asked. "Besides," Ford added. "it's best to figure it out on you're own."

"You _are_ awake, Sixer!" Bill defended. " And I _can't _figure it out! I as in that chair for three hours straight trying to figure this thing out! " He exclaimed.

_That's not healthy. _Ford thought to himself. He sighed once more and shook his head. 'Bill, please-" he started, but he stopped his sentence when Bill walked over to the other side of the bed and sat atop, the cube still in hand.

"Cmon, Fordsy! Help me out here!" Bill pleaded. "This thing is making me angry." He said with a pout, as he looked up at the one he was addressing.

Ford rolled his eyes at the child-like behavior coming from the demon. But, to Bill's surprise, Ford adjusted his hair a bit and took the cube from Bill.

The demon squealed in delight in a rather unnecessary high-pitch. Ford cringed at the sound but looked around the cube.

"Can we compromise?" Ford asked. Bill nodded his head slowly unsure of what the compromise would be. "I will give you a trick to solving these if you help me with a device in working on later in the day." Ford proposed.

Bill squinted his eyes. "Is it gonna hurt me?" He asked. Ford looked over at Bill and shook his head.

"I assure you, you won't be harmed." Ford assured.

Bill scoffed. "No dice." He responded with a glare.

Ford put the rubiks cube back in Bills hands. "I'm not going to hurt you just for your own enjoyment, that's cruel." He stated, which made Bill stay silent for a moment.

"Oh, _please." _ Bill started, rolling his eyes and breaking the silence. "After everything I've done?" He asked, not looking for an answer.

Ford sighed. "I'm not going to help you just so I can harm you." Ford stated, reaching for the lamp on his side table to turn it off.

Bills eyes widened. "Fine, fine!" Bill surrendered. "I'll test your dumb invention of you help me with this thing!"

Ford sighed, but nodded. He took his hand away from the lamp, keeping it on and facing shoulder-to-shoulder with Bill. "Okay..." He started, hesitantly. "Do you see this white color in the middle of the cube?" Ford asked Bill.

"_No._" Bill said with obvious sarcasm in his voice.

Ford grinned for a moment, then continued. "Keep the white in the middle and make a cross with the same color by using quarter turn rotations" He explained. " Make it all white nd leave the corners a different color. "

Bill nodded. "Now what?" He asked.

Ford put the cube back into the hands of Bill once again and made eye contact. "You'll have to figure _that _out yourself." He said with a shy smirk. Bill folded his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Come _on, _Sixer! That only confused me _more!" _He complained.

Bill overheard a short laugh Ford let out. "Then you better get to thinking in the morning." Ford advised. He leaned over to his lamp and shut off the light, laying down on his side and taking off his glasses. He pulled the covers atop of him, and his eyes fluttered shut. _Morning. It was already morning. _Ford thought until he began drifting off to sleep.

Bill took the covers and pulled them over him as well, laying on his back and looking Ford's direction, snickering silently.

It wasn't silent enough, to Bill's disappointment. Ford awoke before he got the chance to fall back asleep, and looked at his lamp, avoiding eye contact with the other.

"Bill," Ford muttered in annoyance. Bill looked over in the other man's direction, and responded with a "what?".

Ford sighed and turned his head to face the other man. "It's late, go back to your room and get some sleep." He instructed.

Bill rolled his eyes and glared at the man. "I almost _was _asleep, until _you _woke me up! _Thanks a lot, _Sixer!" Bill scolded. Ford rolled his eyes.

"Bill, please, it's too early for this.-" He tried, but was stopped in words when Bill let out an obnoxious sigh.

Ford shook his head, clearly annoyed as Bill stated; "I like it in here, It's comfy. You won't even know I'm here, Fordsy!" Bill stated and assured with a slight smirk on his face.

Ford exhaled and groaned. "Once." He started. "Once and _never again._"

Bill nodded his head and ruffled Ford's hair. "Good boy!" Bill mocked, smirking as he tried to hold back his laugh.

Ford squinted his eyes and pushed the demon away. He lay back on his side, as did Bill. The two didn't speak another word, and they both drifted off to sleep in a matter of minutes.

* * *

"Sir, we have new detections of the stolen item." A strange man with short brown hair working at a computer informed. A man with black hair and a suit with a dark grey suit on stepped towards the man and looked down at the screen.

"Find the newly found location immediately." The boss demanded, to which the worker nodded his head. He pointed to the computer screen.

The boss hummed in suspicion as the worker spoke. "It seems to be coming from that tourist trap in the woods, Agent Powers!" He exclaimed.

The man mentioned glared at the worker and slammed his fists on the desk. "That's MR. Powers, to _you!_" He said in a harsh manner, causing the worker to jump in surprise. "My brother was nothing but a disappointment to this business. I will not tolerate being put under his disgraceful name!" Mr. Powers stated.

"Do I look like an idiot to you?" Mr. Powers asked, not looking for an answer as he sent himself stomping out of the room, shoving a security guard aside from the door he had entered from, causing the guard to drop his clipboard at the action. his mouth hung open and the guard shook his head at the lack of disrespect.

The worker shook his head and sighed, turning to another worker with short, black hair on the other side of him. "Would you obtain the file on this specific object that is so special to Mr. Powers?"

The other worker at a separate computer stood up, nodded, and headed towards the file cabinets. He found the file and took the manila folder out of the cabinet. The worker with black hair walked back over to the desk and opened it up.

"Hey, what's so special about this file anyway, Joe?" The black haired man asked.

Joe looked at the file and shrugged. "Agent, Erm- Mr. Powers doesn't inform me on much of anything. He's been keeping a lot from us. Not just the two of us, but this whole company."

The black haired man hummed and turned away.

* * *

Ford woke up the next morning and rubbed his eyes, confused of what time it was. _Something_ felt like a dream to him. He was reaching out to grab his glasses and turn on the lamp, and noticing a slight tug on his torso, blocking him from sitting up easily. He looked down and his stomach and noticed Bill's arms were wrapped around him. His face flushed at the contact. He jumped and was quick to remove Bill's hands and get off the bed in case the demon would wake up.

Ford grabbed his glasses from off of the nightstand and looked at the sleeping man before approaching the door. He smiled for a moment, noticing how peaceful the demon could be when he was asleep. He brushed the thought away and headed out of his room, trying not to make a sound.

He closed the door and looked around the lab as his eyes continued to adjust to some of the colored lights of machines. Ford decided he would go out for a short walk after grabbing a quick cup of coffee.

Meanwhile as Ford left the laboratory, Bill awoke and sat up, quick to flinch at his location. This wasn't where he had gotten used to waking up, where w_as _he? His confusion didn't last long as he was quick to remember he made the _choice _to sleep in this specific location for the night. He looked to his left and noticed the other man had left the room. Bill figured he should get up and groaned as he turned, his feet touching the ground as he ran a hand through his short, blonde hair.

He looked around the laboratory after leaving the bedroom and did not see Ford anywhere. He folded his arms and sighed, looking back inside the bedroom and glaring at the Rubik's cube that was left on the side table. He was quick to go back and retrieve it, sitting down on the bed.

Bill lay down on the side the other man had previously been on, mainly because it was closer to the nightstand. He put the Rubik's cube above his head and looked up at it, glaring and turning the sides and using the trick ford had taught him if he screwed it up. _I'm going to conquer you. _Bill told the cube in his head, forgetting to use his words. It wouldn't matter, it's not like the cube could hear him...

…Probably.

Ford made his way to the kitchen and greeted his niece and nephew who sat at the table eating bowls of cereal. The twins waved and Mabel shot up. "Hey, Grunkle Ford!" She beamed. The man smiled and waved back to the girl. "Do you wanna' see the sweater I made for Waddles?"

"I would like that." Ford answered with a grin. Mabel nodded and called out to her pet pig, who exclaimed from the living room and darted towards the kitchen in a pink and yellow sweater. Mabel lifted the pig, showing the design of a yellow dog eating a taco.

Ford laughed at the design, but admired it. "You sure have a creative talent, Mabel!" He complimented.

Mabel smiled and waved Waddles arms around as she spoke. "Hehe, it's in my blood!" She explained, pointing to her arm. The other man nodded and took the pitcher out of the coffee machine, pouring some coffee into a stainless steel bottle he had claimed as his own multiple months ago after finding them being sold in the gift shop. He took a small sip at the coffee and smiled approvingly of the taste.

"Great uncle Ford, where is Bill?" Dipper asked, setting down the spoon in his cereal bowl. Ford nearly spit out the second sip of coffee he had taken. He flinched forward but managed to keep the liquid inside of his mouth. Dipper clearly noticed the reaction and raised an eyebrow. "Is he still here?"

Ford nodded slowly, looking at his niece as he took another slow sip of coffee. He noticed the boy's raised eyebrow and sighed. "Yes, Dipper. He is, in fact, _still here._" He informed. Dipper nodded, hoping his uncle would continue speaking.

"I'm sure he will be here for quite some time..." Ford continued. Dipper groaned and let his head fall, looking up at the ceiling. "However, I can assure you that you have _nothing _to worry about. As long as I am nearby, no harm will come to you or this family." Ford assured.

"How is that supposed to make me feel better, what if you're _not _nearby and he tries to kill someone?" Dipper asked, frantically. A figure showed up at the doorframe and Dipper jumped in surprise, seeing the redheaded teenager he had a crush on throughout the summer.

"Hey guys, I just heard Thompson tried to swallow a loaf of bread. Also, why are you guys talking about murder and killing?" Wendy Corduroy asked.

All eyes in the kitchen landed on her, and she laughed uncomfortably.

"Wendy, what are you doing here so early?" Dipper asked, hoping to change the topic as soon as possible.

Wendy shrugged. "I had nothing to do today, I figured I'd stop by early today to hang out with my two favorite twins." She said with a smirk, ruffling Mabel's hair and tipping Dipper's hat.

Ford saw this as a good opportunity to leave the kitchen before he was questioned further. He felt guilty for not opening up to his family about Bill, but what _could _he say? The last thing he wanted would to have the children alarmed rather than feeling safe while under the same roof as the demon. He sighed and opened the front door of the shack to head out into the forest.

He looked around, admiring the morning scenery and putting a hand through his hair. A cold breeze past by and he shivered for a moment, regretting not putting on his lab coat over his maroon sweater.

_What am I going to do about Bill? _He asked himself. Ford had been noticing Bill communicating with him a lot more recently, which frightened him inside. He was deeply concerned that the demon was trying to win his trust all over again, and stab him in the back _all over again. _

He sighed and looked down at the ground, continuing to walk on half-visible path in front of him. _What is Bill's plan? Does he have powerful capabilities? _He asked himself. The man stopped walking and stood frozen, realizing a foolish mistake he had made just recently. _If Bill has any form of powerful capabilities, let alone a blade of some sort, he could have easily killed me in my sleep._ Ford bit his lip and put a hand though his hair, glaring at his clenched fist. _Dammit, how could I have been so foolish? It was bad enough staying unconscious in the same room! _

He continued walking, hoping to rid of these thoughts.

_I'm not reliving this nightmare. I never should have made that mistake. I let my guard down, and I'm losing my senses altogether. I need to put my act together and make sure not to relive my past._ Ford told himself. _No matter how cute of an act he might play, I simply cannot trust him again. _

Ford's eyes shot open, not likely because of the caffeine in his coffee, but the way he had just formed that last thought.

His stomach began to turn as he thought over it again.

He already w_as _reliving his past.

If his guard was _truly _up, if he _truly _didn't want Bill anywhere near him, he would have sent him out of the room last night. Ford growled and kicked a tree, clenching his head and shaking it.

His past was returning. _What _was so alluring about the demon that made it feel as if Ford had been controlled? He knew he wasn't being controlled, it had been his action and his decision to allow the other to stay with him, and Ford knew he was already regretting it.

"_Dammit," _Ford muttered under his breath. "Dammit, _Dammit!_" He exclaimed, throwing himself onto the ground and landing on his knees as he put his head in his hands. How could he possibly be falling for a horrible demon who tried to end the world? Sure, he and Bill had a past of friendship, but Ford had only been stabbed in the back by the other. Bill never _truly _saw him as a friend and yet Ford used to hope they could be _more. _

There's nothing Ford could do about this. He had to take _care _of Bill for who knows how long. Ford wished this could all be over. That everything would be okay and he would never have to see or hear of Bill Cipher ever again until his heart gave out. Ford also wished Bill would learn to be _good. _He doubted that would ever happen, which just angered Ford more knowing that no matter where his emotions took him, Bill simply _wouldn't change._

_"Please..." _Ford asked to who knows who under his breath. "Things were_ just_ getting back to normal."

* * *

Mr. Powers paced around the room after returning to retrieve the file.

"This stolen object, we must retrieve it!" He demanded, looking at his employees.

Joe raised his hand with caution. "Agent- Er, um,.. Mr. Powers?" He began.

Mr. Powers glared at nearly being misnamed, but drew the attention to Joe. "Why is this stolen object so important? It's just a harmless Rubik's cube."

"_JUST _a _harmless _Rubik's cube?" Mr. Powers started, slamming his fists in front of Joe's desk. Joe flinched at the action and looked up at his boss.

Mr. Powers glared. "It's not _just _a cube. It contains power that we cannot afford to lose. If it falls into the wrong hands, Gravity Falls will be in great danger, along with this entire _business!" _

Joe nodded and sighed, afraid of asking any further questions.

"If we don't retrieve this object in 48 hours..." Mr. Powers spoke, his hands behind his back as he looked out a large window.

The employees in the room waited for his words.

"I will have no choice but to send a search team to _find _the object in it's location."

**There's chapter 20! Some action and a plot for this story's first adventure! I may have gone a bit far with Ford's emotions, but I hope it was worth it. Sorry for the minor swearing in that bit, I figured it was the best way to set the mood. **

**New chapter should be up soon!**


	18. Warnings

**This chapter is going to be very awkward for Ford after what happened in the last chapter and what he-unfortunately- confessed to himself. There is also a lot of drama afterwards. **

**Hehehe... :)**

**Also, I have decided to create a minimal amount of words per chapter for myself. I'm hoping to get at least a 4,000 words count per chapter, likely more. This chapter is over 6,000 words :3**

**There IS minor swearing in this chapter. Nothing severe, but _hell _and _crap _have an appearance or two... I'm sorry, I really don't intend to use those words often in my story, only when I'm getting deep into the story and the drama, and when I really start to feel the emotions, that's when I tend to feel that those words are fitting once and a while. **

**You have been warned in advance!**

**Anyway, Here is chapter 18! **

After spending longer outside than intended, Ford finally made his way back to the shack and showed up down in the laboratory, coming out of the elevator. Bill was staring at the Rubik's cube, frustrated, and looked at the other man that entered the room.

"Hey, Sixer." Bill greeted, looking back at his Rubik's cube. Ford gave a short wave as he set his coffee cup down onto a desk.

"So," Bill began. Ford looked up, listening to the demon. "Do you still have plans of me testing that thing you were talking about last night? Some gizmo or something?"

Ford looked at the ground, then back at Bill, nodding slowly.

"Hey, why the long face?" The demon asked, unsure of if he _really _cared or not.

Ford sighed and faked a laugh. "Oh, sorry," He started. "My legs have been hurting since I woke up."

"Oh, gee," Bill commented sarcastically. "I hope I didn't kick ya' too much last night." He joked with a fake grin and wink.

Ford cringed as his cheeks turned pink at the comment. He quickly turned away from the demon to unnecessarily put away a book to break the eye contact and hide his facial expression.

Bill laughed and folded his arms, setting the Rubik's cube on the desk. "Come on, Sixer. You're clearly bluffing. What crawled up _your _pants?" He asked. "Maybe when I fell asleep, I was moving in my sleep and-"

Ford threw a book onto the ground and turned to face the demon. "Will you _stop _with all that?" He practically demanded.

Bill laughed, smirking, satisfied with annoying the other man. "_Sorry,_" He muttered, with a cheeky snicker afterwards as he turned to his side and looked at the ground.

Ford glared and shook his head. _I won't last very long if he keeps this up. _He thought to himself.

Bill sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Seriously, Stanford. What's the status on that thing you wanted me to test? This stupid cube is making me angry. I'm this close to setting it on fire." He stated, putting two fingers close together. He turned the cube and wondered if he should even attempt it.

"I might spare the cube for _now, _but I really think I should test out my magic again. Who knows? I cold be all powerful by now!" Bill exclaimed, putting his hands above his head, rolling the spinny-chair in circles as he went backwards along with it.

Ford shrugged. "It's worth a try." He commented. Bill shot up and stopped his chair from spinning.

"Are you serious?" Bill asked in disbelief as his mouth hung open.

Ford shrugged again. "I suppose."

Bill exclaimed in glee and jumped out of his chair to find a book to set aflame. He looked at a bookshelf and took a book labeled: "Geometry." He squinted his eyes at the cover with different shapes and angles. He opened the book and glared at the sight of shapes looking like squares, circles, rectangles, diamonds, and more. He looked up at Ford and pointed to a row of different sized shapes. "Hey, Fordsy!" He addressed, pointing at the shapes and putting the book in the other man's face. "Are you _cheating _on me with these shapes?"

Ford glared and turned away, not wanting nor bothering to comment on the statement Bill had made. He took the book from Bill and putting it back on the shelf. Bill scowled and grabbed the book once again. "I think I'm going to burn this first." He stated.

Stanford shook his head and snatched the book out of Bill's hands, hugging it against him to keep it away from the demon. "I used this my Senior year of high school. It is still incredibly valuable to me to this _day._" He stated.

Bill rolled his eyes. "So?" But decided not to say more when Ford glared once more.

The demon looked on the shelf and grabbed a random file filled with papers, holding it up to Ford to see if it was valuable to him, not that he _cared. _

Ford took the file for a second and flipped through the pages. "It's just some old papers that I don't have any use for anymore." He stated.

Bill nodded and turned to set the file in the middle of the room. He sighed and stretched his arms before doing anything. He looked at Ford who nodded his head as he folded his arms, leaning against a desk and giving the OK for the demon to set it aflame.

Bill raised his hand out in front of him and held it out with the other. He bent down near the file as a minor flame went through his palm. He smirked and made a fist, pointing his index finger onto the file. He tried once more to send a flame to his index finger. He sat there for a moment, pushing himself to let out a flame. It took patience, which Bill was surprised that he had at the time.

Finally, after multiple minutes of waiting, his index finger shot out a flame. His eyes opened wide and he smiled wide, guiding his finger onto the file. Slowly but surely, the flame began to build on the file, burning the top of the manila folder and a few layers of pages that were inside. Bill laughed in bliss as he achieved a goal he had been waiting to obtain for multiple weeks.

"See that sixer?" He asked, smiling wide as he turned to him. Ford nodded and walked over to the file, extinguishing the fire with his shoe by stepping atop it.

Bill huffed and folded his arms. "I was watching the fire grow." He pouted.

"If it continued to grow, it may have been risking other objects setting on fire." Ford informed, sitting down at the ground and picking up a scrap of paper that still showed text.

Bill smirked and looked at Ford. "Is Fordsy proud of me?" He asked, leaning over towards Ford's shoulder and putting an arm on his shoulder. Ford flinched at the movement and turned away, hiding his face in case he reacted in a way he wasn't hoping for. Bill pouted and sighed.

Ford stood up and headed towards his desk drawer to retrieve the emotion-reading device he had been working on.

Bill looked at the device as Ford returned near him, sitting back down. "This is the device I was talking about the other day." He informed.

"It looks like a gun. So it really _will _hurt me!" Bill exclaimed with a smile.

Ford shook his head. "It won't harm you." He assured.

Bill sighed obnoxiously and collapsed onto the floor, putting his hands over his head. "That's lame, sixer."

Ford sighed. "At least, I don't _think _it will hurt you." He muttered, intentionally loud enough so that Bill would overhear.

He shot up and put his hands on Ford's shoulders, looking down at the device in his hands again. "What does it do?" He asked, interested once again.

"Will you stop with the physical contact?" Ford asked, jerking his shoulder away from Bill's hands.

Bill smirked and chuckled. "Since when do you care?" He asked.

Ford face palmed and let his hand slide down his face as he sighed, showing his annoyance. "This device should be ready to test." He stated, changing the subject.

Bill nodded and moved across the floor, sitting on his knees across from Ford now, putting his arms outreached to his sides and closing his eyes to show that he was ready to be shot with the gizmo.

Ford stood up and cautiously turned the device on. He sighed and aimed the device at Bill's forehead and looking at the screen.

"Ready?" He asked Bill.

The demon nodded, giving permission.

* * *

"What if this isn't our guy?" The black haired agent asked Joe.

Joe sighed. "There's a tracker in the object, this has to be the correct location, Fred."

Fred nodded. "This is a tourist trap, do you think Stanford Pines is selling the item in his gift shop?" He asked, looking down at the miniature tracking device monitor.

"Let's go in and see." Joe recommended. The two agents walked up to the gift shop and opened the door with caution. They saw a few paying customers walking about.

Fred pointed at an older man with an eye patch and looked at Joe. "Is this our guy?" He asked.

Joe nodded and stepped forward. "Stanford Pines?" He called out, drawing attention from Stanley and a young girl with a lollipop in hand.

Stan walked towards the two agents and put a huge smile on his face. "Welcome to the Mystery Shack, folks! What can I get ya'? We have a wide variety of souvenirs to choose from!" He said, grabbing his cane and pointing at a box of bumper stickers, which fell down.

Joe folded his arms. "We have reason to believe you are keeping a stolen object within the perimeter of this household. We humbly ask for it back before we call a search team in the mere future."

Stan set down his cane and took off his eye patch, replacing it with his hat. "Uh, are ya' sure it's here? I haven't stolen anything in the past 6 weeks." He stated, proud of himself.

Fred took a photo of the item from his clipboard and showed it to Stan. The older man grabbed it and looked down at it.

"Look, I haven't seen anything like that lying around here. Perhaps one of my customers in the shop are in possession of it." He tried, hoping to hurry up the current situation and get the men out.

Fred looked at Joe and nodded. "He's right. We should check the customers."

Joe nodded and pointed at the customers, shouting. "Alright, everyone _out! _Get out of this shop, and don't come back! Run away before I call the _authorities!_" Joe warned, and watched the customers in the gift shop flee out the door. He cringed as an older woman screamed at the threat, and hurried along with the crowd.

"_No!_" Stan exclaimed. "Come back! W-Wait!" He tried, but it was no use. The customers were long gone.

Stan turned to look at the two agents and glared. "Alright, ya' shooed away my customers, are you happy now? I'm close to asking you both to _leave!_" Stan spat, and Joe glared back.

"This is an investigation, you have little to no right to kick us out at this time." Joe stated, putting hands on his hips. Stan folded his arms and rolled his eyes.

"Just try and stop me." He muttered, louder than intended.

Fred sighed. "Look, sir. We are going to kindly ask you once more. Do you or do you _not _have this item?" He asked Stan.

Stan shook his head. "I can't help ya' there."

Fred shook his head and looked at the ground in defeat.

Joe looked at Fred, disgusted on how he had given up. He looked and glared at Stan.

"Stanford Pines, you have 45 hours to find and retrieve this item to us, or we will be forced to send in a team to investigate further." Joe stated.

Stan nodded. "Yeah, I got it. Have a good day." He said, carelessly waving his arms and pointing at the door. He waited impatiently for the agents to leave. He knew he would bring this up to Ford, surely it was _his _doing. Bill had only gotten out of the laboratory once. Stan looked at the ground, trying to recall some other time Bill had escaped the laboratory. _He only got out once._ _I think..._ Stan thought to himself.

* * *

Down in the laboratory, Ford aimed the emotion-reader at Bill once he got permission. He looked at the screen as it attempted to detect the demon's feelings. Ford squinted his eyes as the small screen on the device went blurry for a moment. Ford grunted at gave the side of the device a slight smack. Unfortunately, it only made it worse. The orange and red colors on the screen began to move sideways, along with horizontal lines spacing out across the screen. "_No..!_" Ford exclaimed, shaking the device slightly, causing vertical lines to show up at the sides moving all squiggly.

Bill opened one eye, looking at the other man as he struggled with the device. Ford put a hand in his hair, frustrated, shaking the device.

"Woah, _woah, _sixer! Calm down!" Bill exclaimed, rising to his feet and turning to face the screen. "You're gonna break the gizmo!"

"It's _already _breaking, it's malfunctioning like crazy!" He exclaimed, grabbing the hairs on his head and clenching them in his hand that turned into a fist.

The state of the device did not improve, it continued to malfunction and eventually slowed the process with a grey and white screen with little green spots sprinkled around, and eventually ended with a _plain _black screen.

Ford sighed in frustration and felt like throwing the device. He lifted his arm and glared at the floor, but stopped himself in motion. Breaking the device would not help in the slightest. The screen had seemed to be working at first, detecting the emotions and beginning to calculate them. Perhaps the device was not 'smart' enough yet.

Ford exhaled and let his posture fail for a moment as he walked over to a desk and set down the device. He put a hand on the desk and put his other hand to his face, rubbing his eyebrows.

Bill folded his arms and approached the man. "What happened?" He asked, curious.

Ford looked at the device, then at Bill, putting both hands down on the table gently. "It was working at first. It was scrolling through an assortment of emotions. It scrolled through emotions like being mad, brazen, sad, annoyed, and then it went _crazy! _Just... just like _that!_" He explained, annoyed with the way the result played out.

Bill rolled his eyes. "It worked at first, didn't it?" He asked, not looking for an answer. "At least it did _something. _Something's better than nothing, unless you would prefer nothing." He added with a smirk. Ford looked at him and tilted his head in confusion.

Bill shrugged. "I mean, if you would prefer nothing, I would be more than happy to light it on fir-"

"_No!_ I just need to give it more time." Ford stated, grabbing the device and keeping it away from the demon, giving off a look of alarm.

Bill laughed. "Relax, smart guy. I don't have enough energy after I lit that file on fire over there." Bill reminded, turning and pointing at the file that remained in scraps on the floor, mixed with ashes. "Who knew such a small flame could actually burn the thing?" He commented with a smile.

Ford gave him a look until his attention was turned to the elevator that opened, showing Ford's brother, Stan.

"Stanley, what are you doing down here?" Ford asked.

Stan rolled his eyes and looked at his brother. "Hey, look, pointdexter. I'm not one of the kids. I spent years down here when you were away in _Whoville." _

Ford glared and cringed at the way Stan had described his years of tragedy in countless dimensions.

"What's _he _still doing here?" Stan asked, pointing at Bill. The demon glared and shook his head, looking to his right and suddenly finding a pen that had fallen on the ground more interesting.

Ford looked at his brother, confused. "Do you need something?"

"Yeah," Stan started. "Some agents came over to the gift shop sayin' somthin' about a stolen colored cube. What were those things called?" Stan explained, and scratched his head, looking at the ceiling trying to remember.

Bill looked back at Stan, then ran to Ford's makeshift bedroom.

"Bill?" Ford called out, about to follow the demon. There was no need when he quickly re-appeared with the Rubik's cube Ford had given him in hand.

"You mean this thing?" Bill asked Stan, extending his arm to show the object to him.

Stan nodded slowly, and his eyes widened."_You!_" Stan exclaimed, glaring over at Bill. "_You _stole something as pointless as _that?_" He shot at the demon, scolding him. Bill took a step back, shaking his head. For once, this _wasn't _his fault.

"Stanley!" Ford shot back, putting an arm in front of the demon in case Stan would attempt to harm him. "Bill did nothing. I was the one that got the cube in the first place, so you don't need to scold him for something that wasn't his fault."

It was the fact that Ford was so quick to defend Bill that scared

Stan put his hands on his hips and took a step closer to his brother. "Then how the hell did you get the thing? I thought _I _was a criminal!"

"Calm down, I didn't steal anything either. I have no idea _why _it is said to be stolen. I paid what was on the price tag." Ford assured.

Stan raised an eyebrow at the information. "Well, where did ya' get it?"

"I was driving home the other day and stopped by the month-long November events down near the beach. It reminds me of when we were kids and our parents would take us every year they had the chance." Ford said, smiling at the memories.

Stan nodded and looked down at the ground. "Pa would always win the ring toss and get one of those cakes to take home."

"And Ma would make pies and exchange them for tickets." Ford said with a chuckle.

The twins sighed at the same time, smiling.

Bill folded his arms and sighed obnoxiously loud. "Okay, are you old men done reliving your childhood memories so we can get back to figuring out the deal with this cube, or are we gonna continue taking a trip down memory lane?" He asked the two, rather impatient.

Ford turned to Bill, and grabbed the Rubik's cube, then looked back at his brother. "Actually, there is no need to figure this out," He started.

"What?" Bill and Stan questioned in sync.

Ford looked at the cube, and once more looked over at Stan. "I don't want to take a chance of having to get investigated, it would be too dangerous if the agents found the lab, or _you, _Bill."

"Why? I'm human, I look normal." Bill commented.

"That may be so," Ford started. "But I can't take chances of letting a dream demon out, especially after that fire experiment."

Bill huffed and folded his arms, turning away.

"What fire experiment?" Stan muttered. The others ignored him.

"So," Ford added, "I'm going to take this in to town and turn it in to the authorities so that we don't have to worry about-"

Bill's eyes widened. "Sixer, _no!_" He pleaded, taking the cube away from the other and holding it in his arms. "This thing is actually _cool, _you can't just take it away!"

Ford sighed. "By law, it would be wise to turn it in. I can get a new one for you, I promise."

Bill scoffed and looked at Ford unconvinced. "And what if you're _lying?_" He questioned.

"You know I can't bluff." Ford stated.

Stan glared at the demon. "Just give the thing to pointdexter, will ya'? He'll get you a new one, anyway."

Bill shook his head and took a step back. "This isn't a regular cube." He informed.

Stan scoffed in disbelief and Ford took a step closer. "What do you mean?" Ford asked, hoping for an explanation.

Bill held it out, but gripped it hard enough between his hands that Ford wouldn't take it. "It was making an annoying 'beeping' sound and it was really strange."

Ford folded his arms, knowing that Bill wasn't planning on handing it to him. "Did it do anything else?" He asked the other.

Bill shook his head and looked at Ford, then back down at the cube. "No, not while I was around," He started. He hummed and put a hand on his cheek, trying to think. He thought of nothing and raised an eyebrow.

"It's as if..." Bill began. Ford nodded, encouraging him to continue. "It's as if there's some sort of _secret _device insi-" He continued, and shrieked when then Rubik's cube started to glow. The cube shined a bright, blue light between the corners and edges, illuminating all of the miniature squares.

Ford gasped and looked down at the item. Bill tried to form a sentence, but words were caught in a knot. He held his hands out in a cup away from him in case the object were to explode.

"Put it on the ground!" Ford commanded, and Bill quickly obeyed the order. The two looked down at the cube as it was down at the two men's feet.

Stan walked over to the other men and also looked down. "What did you do?"

"Stanley, it would be better if you went back upstairs." Ford stated.

Stan glared. "What, you think I can't handle this? Ya' think I can't handle things like this?"

Ford shook his head and looked at his brother. "You're putting words into my mouth." He stated.

Stan put his hands on Ford's shoulders. "What? Are you trying to hide something from me _again_? Is there something _secret _I shouldn't know?" He spat.

Ford cringed at his brother's reaction, and his attention was drawn to the floor as the Rubik's cube stopped glowing, turning back to it's regular state. He jerked his shoulders away from Stan and turned to face the cube.

Bill got on his knees and grabbed the Rubik's lifting it up near his face and admiring it.

"Did you see that, sixer?" Bill began. He was stopped when Ford took the cube out of his hands.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, rising up and trying to grab the cube. Ford turned away from the demon and kept the cube close.

Bill tried to grab it from behind, and Ford turned around and glared at the demon. "Bill, stop!" He commanded.

Stan looked in confusion, unsure of exactly what was going on.

The demon glared and folded his arms. "We need to investigate this, Stanford!" He stated.

"We need to turn it _in._" Ford shot back at Bill. "This is an object that would be better off with the police. If it was stolen, we have no right to possess it."

Bill scoffed. "You're so _boring, _sixer."

Stanley opened his mouth to add on to that statement, but shut it, figuring it wasn't the right time.

Ford rolled his eyes. "Right now, I don't really care. I need to turn this in immediately, before something else happens."

"If you're going," Bill started. "I'm going with you."

"Absolutely _not,_" Ford began. "You need to stay here, I can't trust you yet."

Bill laughed sarcastically. "Oh, but you trusted me enough that you let me _sleep _with you?" He spat.

Stanley wasn't sure if the two forgot he was in the room, or if they were _choosing _to ignore him. He glared and looked over at Ford for an explanation on the information that had just hit his ears.

Ford glared. "That's besides the point! I regret allowing you to stay. I'll tell you now that it will not happen again." He stated in the tone that sounded more of an order than an assurance. He took a step back, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill shook his head. "I don't believe that," He began, but was interrupted by a man he had forgotten about.

"_HEY!_" Stan shouted, causing both men to stop and look in his direction in sudden alarm.

Stan folded his arms. "What the _hell _is he talkin' about, Stanford?"

Ford put a hand in his hair, exhaling fearfully. "S-Stanley!" He stammered. "Believe me, it's not- that's not-!" He tried, attempting to form a sentence. He was in trouble now.

"Oh, cut the crap, Pointdexter!" Stan scolded. "I thought you were losing your mind lettin' the demon live here, but _now _you're _sleeping _with him?"

Ford shook his head. "Stanley, that's not what happened. There's _nothing_ between the two of us, honest!" He continued, a wave of fear passing by him.

"Heh, you seem to be gettin' better at your bluffin'." Stan scoffed, turning around to exit the laboratory by opening the elevator, fuming.

Ford's heart sunk. _What am I going to do now? Stan has the wrong idea. There's nothing between Bill and I whether I like it or..._

_Agghh!_

Ford sighed in annoyance with both himself _and _the situation.

Ford turned to face the demon once his brother left the room, glaring. "You have the absolute _worst _timing! You made it sound worse than it really was!" He exclaimed, showing his anger.

"Like you said, that's besides the point. I'm coming with you whether you like it or not!" Bill stated, glaring back at the frustrated man.

Ford sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "What's so important about coming along, anyway? Did you come back with your group of friends?"

"_No!_" Bill spat. "Come _on, _sixer! All I want is to go out of this stupid basement and see some scenery in the outside world. Is that so much to ask?"

Ford felt a bit of guilt at the way he stated that fact for a moment, even though he shouldn't. Could he, or _would _he, _honestly _trust that everything would go smooth? With Bill around, things _never _go smoothly, there's always something in store, and it's rarely something good. However, if he _didn't, _Bill would likely complain about being bored over and over, and how he was powerless. Bill couldn't make deals anymore, so Ford's every move relies on trust.

There is something in Ford's head, telling him that this would be a horrible idea to trust Bill once again, and that the demon was just trying to reel him in to yet another friendship, only for his bond...and his heart... to be broken.

_Bill has changed. _Ford thought to himself. _At least... a little._

_But, is it enough change? _He continued as the room remained silent. _He's still the same mischievous dream demon he was three months ago, even if his powers are locked away at the moment. He couldn't have changed, he has done little to nothing to prove it. _

Ford folded his arms. _Then again... I've never really given him a second chance._

What if someday, Bill found a way to regain full power, and Ford had never given him the chance to change? At least giving him a chance would show Bill that he is capable of changing in time.

_Somehow._

He ran a hand through his thick hair and sighed once more. "Promise me," He started, speaking his words slowly, thinking about what words were coming out of his mouth before _and _after saying them.

"Promise!" Bill said quickly.

Ford shook his head. "Hold on." He commanded. Bill nodded his head, listening to the other man's words.

"Promise me you'll stay in the car," Ford began. Bill nodded, and Ford continued his deal proposal. "Promise me you don't have some cruel trick up your sleeve."

Bill's mouth hung open and he put a hand on his heart, sarcastically. "Fordsy, I would _never!_" He stated, innocently.

Ford scoffed. "You had no problem doing it thirty years ago." He said, grabbing the Rubik's cube and putting it inside his pocket.

Bill watched the action and shook his head, holding a hand out. "That's probably not a good idea." He stated.

Ford looked at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You just put the cube inside your lab coat. What if it explodes or something?" Bill exclaimed.

Ford looked in his coat and face palmed, realizing how stupid he had been, and how strange it was to do that action.

"I suppose I wasn't thinking," Ford said, smiling. _Maybe he can change. _

Ford chuckled. "Thank you, Bil-"

"Ugh, imagine if it blew up while you were driving. I could _die! _If I'm _dead, _how am I supposed to get back to normal?" Bill asked, not looking for an answer from the other man.

Ford gave him a look, and spaced out for a moment. _It's a start, I suppose. _

Bill grabbed the Rubik's cube out of Ford's hands. "Let me take this off your six-fingered hands." He said with a cheeky smile.

Stanford rolled his eyes at the comment, but gave it back to the demon. "I'm going to need it back when we get to the police department."

Bill smirked. "No promises."

"_Bill,_" Ford warned.

The demon rolled his eyes. "Jeez, calm down, Stanford! I was only kidding." He said, his voice lowering into a mutter as he looked to the side.

"We should get going, the sooner it's turned in, the better." Ford said.

Bill chuckled. "Yeah, you better get this away from me before I find some sort of _secret code._" Bill said, raising an arm up and waving his fingers above his head in a sarcastic manner. The Rubik's cube illuminated blue once more, then opened at the corners, revealing cords and small objects that connected to a small box with a silent countdown.

"Woah!" Bill shrieked, tossing the object out of his hands. The cube began to fall to the ground in circular motion. Ford's eyes widened and he was quick to snatch the object before it fell. He turned the opened part towards him, looking down at it.

Ford squinted his eyes at the miniature mechanics, examining the wires like the scientist that he is. He looked up at Bill and lowered the cube gently onto a desk. "It's definitely counting down towards something. And if the object was stolen and is needed back urgently, when this countdown reaches zero, it must not have a good result."

Bill folded his arms. "Maybe we shouldn't turn it in."

Ford shook his head. "That wouldn't be a good idea. It's clearly needed elsewhere." He stated, as Bill walked towards him.

"If it's a timebomb, shouldn't we destroy it?" Bill asked, using his head.

For shook his head. "Also not a good idea. Destroying property that belongs to someone else could easily result in the owner suing us."

"Or..." Bill continued. "We would be hero's!" He exclaimed, putting his arms up in the air. Ford shook his head in disbelief.

"We need to turn this in," Ford stated.

Bill shook his head. "We need to turn this _off_!" He argued, glaring. "Use your head, sixer!"

"I have been, and clearly you aren't!" Ford pressured.

Bill pushed the other man away and grabbed the cube from the desk. Ford exclaimed in alarm and reached an arm out to grab the Rubik's cube from the demon's hands. Bill jerked his shoulder away and escaped the other man's reach.

"Bill!" Ford exclaimed in frustration. "Put it back! Are you out of your mind?"

Bill shook his head. "No, I'm using it!" He exclaimed, and extended his arm with the cube in his grasp, chucking it at the wall. The cube bounced off the wall and hit the floor. Bill rushed towards it and stepped on the Rubik's cube, stomping on the countdown screen and the wires beside it. Grey smoke came out of the cube, and Bill dropped to his knees, picking up the item, smiling in approval at the sight of the countdown being put to a stop.

"_No!_" Ford exclaimed, rushing over towards the broken cube, falling to his knees beside Bill. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?" Ford questioned, fuming.

Bill nodded. "I stopped the timer!" He said, thrilled with his 'save'.

Ford glared and grabbed the remains out of the demon's hands. "How are we supposed to explain this to the police?"

"We don't," Bill suggested. Ford shook his head, and Bill laughed. "_Kidding. _Let's just say it got crushed after it got run over by a car over in the parking lot?"

Ford shook his head once again. "That doesn't sound convincing at all!"

Bill scoffed. "Do you have a better idea, smart guy?"

Ford sighed. "Tell the truth."

The demon exhaled obnoxiously at the idea. "Lame!"

Ford glared. _This would be quite a story. He can't bluff, he would have no choice but to admit the truth. _

**There's chapter 18! I'm sorry for the language, but I hope you enjoyed the drama!**

**About the agents, the characters Joe and Fred weren't ever in the show, they just look like regular people who could potentially work for the government? I don't know :3 They aren't exactly OC's since I don't have any type of backstory or drawings for them, I just figured those would be suitable names for what's going on now...**

**And what will happen in the future! **

**I just want to warn you that I change the cover design on this story from time to time! Unfortunately, you can't really post art you have made on here other than submitting it on the Image Manager, so I think it would be cool if I made a cover design that would fit what is happening in the story! For example, I am working on one where Ford is holding the Rubik's cube when he gave it to Bill in a previous chapter. **

**New chapter should be up in about a week!**


	19. Failings

**That last chapter had a lot of drama that will continue a bit in this chapter (: **

**Stan makes a minor reference to "gay" in this chapter. I want you to know that it is in NO WAY meant to offend ANYONE! Please don't take it seriously if in case you find it offensive. This story is based on two male characters, after all. (;**

**With that out of the way, h****ere is chapter 19 of 'Welcome Home'!**

_This is bad. This is very, very bad... _Ford kept telling himself. Bill had just broken the Rubik's cube.

"If It's really so _terrible,_ why don't we just fix it?" Bill suggested, shrugging his shoulders.

Ford turned to him with a glare, shaking his head. "We can't _fix it_." He stated with his teeth clenched.

Bill cringed at the other man's tone of voice. "Look, I figured it would be better if we just got rid of the thing and stopped the time from ticking down!"

Ford sighed and nodded. "I understand that. But it only made things worse." He said, muttering and looking away.

A small part of Bill felt guilty for messing up, but he was silently amused with what would occur in the mere future.

* * *

The walk back to the office was long and quiet. Fred looked in Joe's direction several times, but the other refused to make eye contact.

Fred sighed. "What do you think Mr. Powers is going to say?"

Joe glared at Fred and shrugged. "Who knows? But it won't be anything good."

"Well, you don't know that.." Fred tried.

Joe scoffed. "I've known him for years before he decided to take this so called 'career path', He gets mad _very _easily, so how do you think he will react when he hears that you gave up so _easily_ back there? Just like that!" Joe stated, throwing his arms into the air and shaking his head in disbelief.

Fred folded his arms and sighed in defense. "He said he didn't know! What was I supposed to do?"

Joe snarled. "Investigate _further! _Try to look through potential lies. Don't just draw your eyes down to the floor in defeat!" He said, stomping forward as they passed the trees and into town.

Fred decided not to say anything else. He sighed and looked at the grass in remorse. _Mother always said I was too good of a person to become an_ agent. He thought to himself. _Maybe I should reconsider my career path..._

After about ten minutes of silence between the two, they finally reached the office to find their boss. Joe marched up the stairs and Fred rushed towards the door, opening it for the other with a smile. Joe didn't make eye contact and walked into the building without another word.

The building was fairly large with creamy white walls. It had a long hallway past the lobby, with a variety of doors on the sides leading to a variety of sized rooms. Joe walked past Fred, still avoiding eye contact. Fred folded his arms and ran a hand through his black hair. He knew that the silent treatment was well-deserved.

The two men walked down the hallway, and stopped at the door with a chalkboard that read '_Mr. Powers office. Always_ KNOCK!'

Fred's right hand made contact with the wooden door, making sure to knock multiple times. Joe grabbed Fred's wrist and glared, shaking his head at how many times he _had _knocked.

"You only have to knock twice," Joe scolded, but was interrupted from a yell on the other side.

Fred jumped back a bit at his boss yelling for them to 'come in', and he opened the door cautiously.

Joe walked into the room and let out a sigh, trying to avoid eye contact with Powers as much as possible. The boss read the expressions quite easily and questioned them.

"Why so quiet?" Mr. Powers asked, squinting his eyes and laying back in his office chair, his feet crossed, extended on his desk. He got no response and glared over in Joe's direction. "Answer me." He pushed, his teeth clenched.

Joe ran a hand through his hair and sighed, finally looking at the boss. "I'm sorry, agent Powers. I-" He began.

"That's Mr. Powers, to _you!_" He shot, and silenced himself to listen to what Joe had to say.

Joe apologized, and continued. "Fred and I took a trip to the tourist trap as you commanded. We weren't there for very long, because..,"

Mr. Powers grinned. "You have obtained the object, then?" He asked, mischievously.

Fred took a small step back. Joe noticed the behavior and turned back to look at Mr. Powers. "Not... exactly," He muttered, looking down at the wooden floor.

Mr. Powers took his feet off the table and looked at Joe. "Meaning?" He asked, looking for an easy explanation.

Joe looked at Fred and glared. "Why don't _you _tell him, _Fred?_"

Fred stuttered under his breath a bit and looked back at Joe, then at Mr. Powers. He was silent, but knew he had to own up to his reaction. How easily he had given up on the case.

"Mr. Stanford Pines said he..," Fred began, his words sounding shaky as he forced the words out. "He said he didn't know where the cube was... so, I believed him." He admitted. "We gave him a warning, but.-"

Joe glared and took a step forward, cutting him off. "_I _gave him a warning." He stated. Mr. Powers stood up, looking at both his employees.

"Do you have any idea what will happen if we lose this item again? Show me the tracking device of the cube, Fred." Mr. powers commanded. Fred nodded and pulled the tracker from off his belt. He noticed the screen was black, so he hit the side. It made no difference. He face palmed, realizing that he had forgotten to turn it on. Fred flipped the switch to turn on the tracking device, and the screen lit up, showing a grey screen with thin, green circles.

Fred looked around the screen for where the tracker was around Gravity Falls, and he noticed a small red dot, flickering on and off the screen. He looked at it, confused. After a moment, the red dot was completely erased off the screen.

Mr. Powers glared, "I'm waiting." He stated.

Fred nodded quickly, his entire body shaking. The dot that was tracking the cube was removed from the device. "Ummm..," He started. "Do we have Wifi here?" He asked, hoping that this device was somehow connected to a Wifi source.

"What are you talking about?" Mr. Powers asked. He stood up with his fists clenched. He walked over near Fred and looked down at the screen. He squinted his eyes for a moment, not seeing the result of the tracking device. "Where is the cube?" He asked Fred.

Fred turned to look at Mr. Powers. "I-I don't know, sir." He admitted. He saw his boss's reaction and cringed.

Mr. Powers put his hands behind his back and began pacing around the room. "Do you understand_ how valuable _this cube is? We cannot afford to lose it again," He said.

Joe looked at his boss, confused. _"Again?_" He repeated. Mr. Powers nodded.

"Joe, you and I _both _know that this object is being looked for by another man. That's exactly why we need to find it first. So that we can get rid of the tracking device, and keep what's inside _safe_." Mr. Powers stated, looking out a window.

Fred raised an eyebrow. "But..," He began. "Who _else _is looking for it?" He asked, hoping for an answer.

Mr. Powers turned to look at Fred. "The _owner,_" He informed.

Fred's eyes widened at the information that he had been unaware of for quite some time. "Who was the owner?" He cleared his throat and looked at Mr. Powers, confused. "If this company doesn't own the Rubik's device, then... who _does?_"

"That doesn't matter," Powers stated. "All that matters is getting it _back. _We need to up our game and get that cube _back _in my hands. Consider it _required, _getting It's power to cause _Grave danger _to this town, rather the _world._"

Joe nodded his head. "I will be _sure _to get it back to you, sir. You can count on me!"

Mr. Powers smirked. "Good. Joe, you get a promotion. And Fred," He said, with a rather suspenseful pause. "You're _fired._"

Fred looked at Mr. Powers with his mouth hung open. "F.._Fired_?" He repeated, hoping he misheard him. Unfortunately, Powers nodded his head.

"Yes. You are fired. I don't want to see you in this building on duty _again._" He stated, not caring to look at his ex-employee's reaction.

Fred sighed. Sure he had messed up in the past, but what other career path was he supposed to take? He never made a for sure plan B.

He sighed once more. "Do I still get my paycheck?" Fred asked, hopefully.

Mr. Powers laughed for a moment. "Silly, _silly _Fred," He teased. "You know I don't pay you."

Joe opened the door to the office and pushed Fred out of the room. Looking down at the other man with one final glare, he slammed the office door shut. Fred flinched at the sudden movement from the other man. He ran a hand through his short, black hair, stressed out.

_Mr. Powers stole the cube from someone else? _Fred asked himself. All the information was processing in his head. _Grave danger? _

Fred stood up and brushed himself off. "This isn't good." He muttered. He decided to take one final trip to the Mystery shack before the other agents tore it apart in search of the Rubik's cube.

* * *

"Dipper, It's _your _turn." Mabel stated, as the twins were up playing Connect 4 in their bedroom. Dipper looked at his sister and nodded slowly, making his move. Mabel smirked at the poor decision and made her final move, getting four of her pieces to match up diagonally. Dipper groaned as Mabel celebrated.

"Aha! I win again!" She squealed, clapping her hands. Dipper looked away, and Mabel stopped, keeping her hands slightly raised.

She looked down, confused. "Wait," She began. "I _never _win this kind of stuff. Are you okay, Bro-bro?" She asked Dipper. The boy nodded slowly, not making eye contact. Mabel moved to the other side and sat by her brother. "All aboard the downhearted train!" She joked, letting out a 'Choo-choo!' with her hands raised in the air.

Dipper made no comment, and Mabel sighed. "Come on, Dipper. What's wrong?"

"Sorry, Mabel," Dipper started, clenching his torso and laying on his side. "I'm just..,"

"Scared?" Mabel asked, finishing his sentence. The boy nodded and hid his face with his hat in shame.

Mabel pulled Dipper up from the ground and hugged him tight. "It's okay, bro-bro. I'm sure Waddles has forgiven you by now." She assured.

Dipper shook his head and looked at his sister. "It's not about that, Mabel. It's about... Bill," He informed.

Mabel looked away and nodded slowly. "Yeah, he _is _pretty scary. But Grunkle Ford is handling him to keep us safe. I'm sure there's nothing to worry about."

Dipper shrugged. "Bill tried to destroy the _world _a few months ago. It's not that easy to be sure that everything is okay."

Mabel sighed and looked out the window. Dipper _was _right, Bill tried to destroy the world. Although, she felt a bit sorry for the dream demon now that he was a human now.

"Dipper..," She started. "I think we should try talking to him."

Dipper looked up at his sister and glared. "_Mabel!"_ He exclaimed. "Why should we do that? He could kill us both!"

"Not if Grunkle Ford is around to supervise him." Mabel stated. "If he's going to be living here for the rest of his life-however long that is now- don't you think we should at _least _say hello?"

Dipper shook his head and stood up. "That's a horrible idea, Mabel! We're going back to California after Thanksgiving break, anyway! There's no point in befriending him, he hates us anyway." He said, folding his arms.

"Fine, you can avoid him, but I'm a nice enough person to treat _him _like a person!" Mabel shot back at him. Dipper sighed, shaking his head and storming out of the room.

"Dipper!" She called out to him, unfortunately getting no response from him. She sighed, and decided to give him some space for a while.

* * *

Soos was in the gift shop with his broom, sweeping the floor as Wendy read a magazine behind the cash register. It was quiet in the room until Stanley walked into the room.

"Soos, you've been sweeping that floor for an hour." Stan stated, putting his hands on his hips, giving the handyman a look.

Soos laughed. "Sorry, Mr. Pines. I guess I'm just lost in thought today." He said.

Wendy looked up, then back down at her paper, not bothering to get involved in the developing conversation.

Stan nodded. "So am I, that's no excuse."

Wendy looked at Stan. "Excuse?" She questioned, muttering under her breath.

Stan looked over at Wendy, noticing her reaction, then looked back at the handyman. "Soos, fix the doorknob instead." He commanded.

Soos nodded. "On it!" He exclaimed, grabbing a screwdriver from off his toolbelt and heading towards the door. Stan adjusted his tie and looked into a mirror. He positioned his hat correctly atop his head and jumped backwards as the mirror shattered before him. He looked down at the floor and noticed a screwdriver had shattered it.

"Soos!" Stan exclaimed, turning around and glaring. He raised an eyebrow when the handyman ran away from the door, grabbing the broom once more.

Soos looked at Stan. "Sorry, Mr. Pines! One of those agents you told me to keep away from the shack is running right towards the shack!"

"_What?_" Stan exclaimed. "Keep him away, don't be afraid to knock him out!" He stated. Soos nodded and glared at the door, ready for the man to enter.

The black haired agent ran onto the porch and quickly opened the doorknob, tripping on the doormat and collapsing to the floor. His hands broke his fall as he felt a splinter make its way inside his palm. He quickly rose up at the sight of others in the room, and noticed all three looking at him.

"You need, Help, Danger, Cube, Hello!" Fred tried, attempting to form a sentence, not thinking before he spoke.

Stan glared and folded his arms, leaning against the vending machine. "Slow down buddy. We're closed for the day, you need to get out." He stated.

Fred grasped a shelf and pulled himself up, grabbing his ankle in pain. _Surely this will hurt in the morning. _He stood up straight and cleared his throat, chuckling in pure embarrassment. "Trust me, I'm not a bad guy," He tried, and Stan rolled his eyes. Fred scratched his neck and opened his mouth once more, "You're all in grave potential _danger!_" He informed the three.

Soos tilted his head in confusion. "Danger? What happened, Dawg?"

Stan gave Soos a look that the handyman chose to ignore.

"That Rubik's cube that my co worker and I were talking about? It's not just a Rubik's cube." Fred said. Wendy folded his arms and Soos raised an eyebrow, letting go of the broom and putting it against the wall.

While the other two were interested in the conversation, Stan interrupted Fred and scoffed. "It's _not just _a _Rubik's _cube!" He mocked. Wendy looked at the old man and glared.

"Hey, give him a chance to talk, man!" She told him with a glare on her face.

"Well, It's _clearly _not a normal ol' Rubik's cube if the company's got two gay agents comin' in and demandin' it back!" He said, clenching his fists.

Fred gasped and hid his face away from the others. As much as he didn't want to admit it, he _had _developed a minor crush on Joe during his time working alongside him. He cringed at the way that his co-worker had shoved him out of the office earlier in the day, and already _knew _that he wouldn't have a chance, no matter how much he wished he _would. _

"Um, As I was saying," Fred continued, looking at the three people in the room once again. "The Rubik's cube is dangerous. It holds great power that I was unaware of, that's why it _needs _to be returned."

Stan scoffed. "I already told ya', _I _don't have it. Why do you need to get it for your company so badly, anyway?"

"I got _fired._" Fred informed. Stan raised an eyebrow and folded his arms, now somewhat interested in what the other man had to say. "And 'our' company _stole _that Rubik's cube from the owner, they are only trying to keep it for themselves so they can unleash its destructive power!" He said with a heavy sigh. "I should have known earlier." He told himself, looking to the side with his arms folded.

Wendy rose up. "Hey, man. It's not your fault."

Soos nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I'm sure you got fired for a good reason."

The others gasped and Wendy shot him a glare. "Soos!" She exclaimed. Soos thought about what he said and mentally apologized.

Stan walked over towards Fred, and folded his arms. "So, if this thing is powerful and _not _needed by that company, why did you come to us?"

Fred sighed and looked at Stanley. "Because the company is planning to _raid_ this place is they don't find it _soon_."

Stan's eyes widened, and he took a step back. "Seriously?" He asked, thinking to himself. Fred nodded, and Stan took off his hat, running a hand through his hair. He put his hat back atop his head. "How do I know you aren't just lyin' to us?"

"I want to _help._" Fred assured. "_Look, _I don't know exactly _how _I can help, but if you need something, call me." He said, taking a notebook from his back pocket and grabbing a pen form off a counter. He quickly jotted down his number and handed it to Stanley. Stan took the number and shoved it in his front pocket, almost _sure _he wouldn't need it. He planned to keep it anyway, in a worst case scenario situation.

"Um, I'll go now." Fred stated, turning to open the door and show himself out. The three waited until the other left the gift shop, and Stan watched him walk away, Fred's hands in his pockets.

Stan grunted. "Weird," He muttered.

"Are you _sure _you haven't seen that cube, Mr. Pines?" Soos asked.

Wendy nodded in agreement at Soos's question, and looked at Stan to add on to the question. "Yeah, I could have sworn I saw Ford with it the other day."

Stan looked at the two, unsure of what to say. "Look. Uh, It's complicated," He tried.

"Complicated?" Wendy and Soos asked at the same time. They both wore a look of confusion, and watched their boss walk past the _Employees only _door.

* * *

Bill decided to go upstairs as Ford was busy digging around in a file cabinet. He couldn't tell if the other man was trying to _fix _the cube, or investigate it. Either way, he saw this as a good opportunity to go upstairs now that the gift shop was closed.

He snuck out of the vending machine, looking around him to make sure no one was around. Thankfully, no one was currently in the gift shop. He snuck through the employee's only door, seeing no one in the living room. He made sure to stay quiet while walking about the house.

Meanwhile, Stan was in the kitchen and saw Dipper reading a book. "Watcha' got there, Dip?" He asked. Dipper looked up and smiled.

"Just reading." He answered. Stan nodded and opened the fridge. "Hey, Grunkle Stan," Dipper asked. Stan looked at Dipper, and he continued. "Have you seen Great Uncle Ford today?"

Stan's eyes widened, and he closed the fridge. He closed them quickly and laughed. "Yeah, he's down in the basement with that other idiot."

"Oh," Dipper said, understanding who the 'idiot' was. He sighed and folded his arms, dropping his book. "Why can't he just _leave_? No one likes Bill, anyway." _Except for Mabel, _Dipper thought, and scoffed.

Stan shrugged and looked at his nephew. "Maybe this is a good thing," Stan lied. "I mean, we all know he 'aint gonna change. My brother is just setting him up."

Bill silently poked his head into the kitchen, listening in on the conversation.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Setting him up for what?" He questioned.

Stan sighed and scratched his back. He wasn't very good at telling the truth, so maybe lying would pay off. "From what I've heard, he's befriending that demon so that he can kill him." He lied once more.

Bill shook his head with his mouth hung open. He glared and stormed off, not wanting to hear any more.

Dipper nodded his head at the answer given. "Are you sure he would do something like that? Great uncle Ford doesn't seem like the kind of person that would do that." He said, getting off his chair.

Stan sighed and clenched a fist on the fridge's handle. "It would be for the greater good." Stan stated, referencing an event that occurred during the summer when Mabel used those horrid truth-telling teeth on him.

"I guess so," Dipper said. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan." He said, leaving the kitchen.

"Hey, no problem, kiddo." He said, biting his lip and clenching his eyes shut at the lie. He wasn't sure of Ford's _actual _plan, if he even had one. But hearing about the event of the other night, he _knew _that Ford wouldn't plan to kill him any time soon, or at any time at _all. _

* * *

Down in the laboratory, Ford looked around through file after file, trying to find a way to fix the cube with a reconstructing formula of some kind. He had no luck and stood up, collapsing in his chair and facepalming. "How do I fix this?" He muttered to himself, feeling hopeless. He heard the elevator and looked over to see the dream demon walking out, fuming.

"Bill, where were you? You know you're not supposed to be upstairs without me knowing about it." He stated, folding his arms. Ford stood up and pushed in the desk chair. Bill looked straight at him with a glare plastered on his face, his fists clenched as he darted towards him. Ford raised an eyebrow at the behavior and his eyes widened in alarm as Bill interlocked his hands with Ford's, pinning him against the wall with angered force.

"Bill!" Ford exclaimed, looking into his eyes. "What's gotten into you?" He asked.

Bill shot him a glare and sneered. "Don't play dumb with me, sixer. I _know _how you feel about me now."

Ford's eyes widened. _Have I been showing signs? _He asked himself, looking away from the demon. _This is all happening so quickly, why did he have to find out now?_ He felt his cheeks flushing, showing a pink color. He cringed and shut his eyes. _Why now? _

He looked back at Bill, and was at a loss of words. "Um," Ford started, and Bill squinted his eyes at him, angry. "How did you, I know It's wrong, but-"

"Tell me about it!" Bill spat, glaring once more. "You were planning to _kill me_ all along?" He questioned, already knowing the answer.

"What?" Ford asked, now _very _confused. He couldn't help but be a bit relieved that it was a different situation than he had thought. At the same time, he was alarmed. "Bill, I don't want to kill you!" He assured, trying to break his hands away from the demon. Bill grasped his hands harder, showing his gain of strength boosted by his mood.

Bill shook his head and scoffed. "Sure, Sixer. You may not _want _to kill me, but you know _damn well _you should." He stated, glaring at Ford.

Ford shook his head and looked at the other man. "Bill, where are you getting all of this?" He asked, hoping for an answer.

"Your _brother_." Bill informed. Ford tilted his head and opened his mouth to speak, closing it before saying something. "He said you were just trying to befriend me so that you could kill me!" Bill exclaimed, biting his lip.

Ford shook his head. "Bill, I wouldn't do that. Even if I _should_, I would never-"

"Can it, sixer!" Bill shot back. "I _know _how you _really _feel about me now. So if your plan was to kill me, go right ahead and do it now! Put me out of my misery, Stanford!" He exclaimed, taking his hands away from Fords and backing up, extending his arms and putting his hands on his hips. "Come on! Take your best shot!" He teased, still fuming with anger.

Ford cringed at the behavior and ran a hand through his hair, clenching his fists and grasping multiple hairs on his head. _What did Stanley tell him? I never once said I wanted to kill him! He's..._ Ford sighed. _He's an old friend, I couldn't do it, even if I really did want to. _Ford cringed and looked down at the ground. His stomach felt as if it were turning, butterflies in his stomach at the least. He shook his head and bit his lip. _How could I honestly love someone like Bill again? _He asked himself.

"Come on, Sixer! Just _do it _already!" Bill said, extending his arms out by his sides. He looked at Ford and noticed the lack of eye contact. "Do it, Stanford! Show me how you _really _feel about me!" He exclaimed, and his words were stopped in a way neither man had expected.

Ford took a quick step towards the other man, lifting Bill's chin up, and their lips collided. Bill's eyes shot open wide, caught off guard by the sudden contact. However, he accepted the kiss for a short moment, processing the situation. He _knew _Ford was horrible at bluffing, how come he hadn't expected something like this to happen sooner? At his point, it felt as if _nothing _made sense to Bill. Probably because...

It _didn't. _

Ford was quick to step away, absolutely h_umiliated _by the gesture he just shown. The action he had jut given. _What have I done? _He asked himself. He didn't dare to make eye contact with Bill, he wouldn't make eye contact with himself if he were in Bill's situation, either. Ford put a hand over his mouth and looked down at the ground, feeling a tear forming at the corner of his eye.

"I-I'm," He sputtered. He put a hand onto his forehead, moving it up into his hair. "Bill, I'm-" He tried, letting his hands fall to his sides he sighed and shook his head. "I'm so sorry." He said, looking at the demon with remorse. Bill looked back at Ford. Flabbergasted. Shocked. Stunned. He looked at Ford in absolute confusion, his mouth slightly opened as he found himself at a loss of words.

Not wanting to react truthfully to the situation, Bill decided to laugh it off, partially hiding the sarcasm. "And you scold _me _for all of _my _failings!" He said with a smirk. Ford tilted his head to the side, unable to read the other man.

"Hey, I get it," Bill started. "You just wanted me to _shut up_, and you _know _I don't stop talking when I'm serious about something." He said.

Ford gave a look of confusion. He didn't want to dig his own grave and say that he couldn't help himself, and that his feelings were true no matter how much he wanted to deny them. "Well," Ford said. "You _do _speak a lot more than you should." Ford stated.

Bill glared and scoffed sarcastically. "Um, okay. _Wow!_" He said, folding his arms. "Yeah, Love you _too, _sixer!" He said, rolling his eyes.

Ford looked away at the words, suddenly finding a file cabinet more interesting. Even though the other man's words were clear sarcasm, he could tell his cheeks were reacting in a way truly _unwanted. _

Bill laughed. "Relax, smart guy. I'm only joking." He stated. "And yeah, I understand that what you did meant nothing, so I'm up for dropping it and forgetting that it even happened." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

In Ford's head, he didn't want to _drop it. _As weird as it sounded to him, that short moment _meant _something to him. However, if he didn't agree, he knew that it would only do him worse from this day forward. He looked back at Bill and chuckled, nodding his head. "I second that." He stated, quick to walk away before the demon could read his facial expression. He made a mental note to himself to practice bluffing.

Bill scoffed silently to himself and looked at his feet. "Still doesn't explain the fact that you might be trying to kill me." He muttered under his breath. He didn't care whether or not Ford had heard him.

Still, the two men may be a bit awkward for the next few days.

Well, at least _Ford _will be.

**There's chapter 19! I suppose this counts as a first kiss, and Bill hardly knows it! This chapter is over 5,000 words, I'm sorry for the wait. I hope this makes up for it. I was taking a bit of time to think just _how _I wanted the moment between Ford and Bill to go. At first, I thought Bill would just scoff and be disgusted, and being all "You're sick, Stanford." Then, I thought maybe when Ford facepalmed in his office chair, maybe he would have fallen asleep and then after the kiss, Bill would have reacted the same way like my first original idea, disgusted at the gesture, then said something like: "Ya feel like waking up about now?" **

**But then I decided this may be a better way to put it, because it will be good for some future plans for this story (:**

**As always, I'm open to suggestions! I hope you liked how this chapter went. If not, thanks for bothering to read this anyway. **

**New chapter should be up fairly soon!**


	20. Interrogation

**I may end up editing the older chapters and combining them to make them a bit longer. IF I do, I can promise that you won't miss out on anything if you are up to date with the story, I just want to have longer chapters, I don't like writing chapters that are only 1,000 words and getting one out every day. Also, I'm not sure if there is a limit to chapters on a story, so I don't want to risk having to write a "sequel" to this that just continues the story until I feel like I'm ready to do something like that. **

**One final thing, I'm going to be writing a story for a user who requested it, so it may be around a week until the next update. That's why this chapter is nearly 10,000 words!**

**Here's chapter 20 of Welcome Home!**

Ford pressed the button on the elevator and went inside. He wanted to leave the laboratory for a bit to get out of the awkward situation that _he _had helped cause. He didn't cause it _completely, _he just fed the fire.

He reached the top and came out of the vending machine. He looked at the clock and wasn't sure whether or not to be surprised that it was already 10:00PM. Surely the twins were asleep, and by he sound of the TV playing, he predicted Stan was in the living room. Sure enough, when he opened the _Employees Only _door, Stan was sitting in the chair by the TV.

Stan noticed Ford enter the room, but avoided eye contact. Ford didn't notice and greeted his brother. Stan scoffed and kept his eyes on the game show that was playing. "I've got nothin' to say to you." He stated, folding his arms and laughing at a man on the TV show who lost all of his earnings in the final round.

Ford sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I just wanted to say that you took what happened the wrong way." He said to the other. Stan rolled his eyes and glared at his brother.

"How can you take _sleeping _with a demon who tried to end the world not three months ago the _wrong way?_" He asked, and looked back at the TV.

Ford shook his head and sighed. "Bill over-exaggerated that bit." He tried, folding his arms. He didn't fail to notice his brother shaking his head.

"It doesn't matter if he exaggerated or not, Stanford," Stan stated, looking at Ford a bit more calm. "The point is you still let him stay with 'ya." _In bed, at the same time. _He thought to himself.

Ford nodded slowly. "I know, I know," He said with a groan. "I wasn't thinking, Stanley. It was 1:00 in the morning, and I was tired. He asked me to help him with the Rubik's cube, so I gave him a tip. Then I shut off the light, and he just stayed there. I didn't want to argue with him and wake you or the twins up."

Stan looked at his brother and could tell that he was telling the truth. He sighed, half-apologizing for the way he had taken the situation. "Oh yeah," Stan started. "About that Rubik's cube."

Ford bit his lip at the object that was going to be focused on in what Stan had to say. "One of those agents got fired and said that his company was gonna raid the shack if we don't give it back." He informed.

Stanford gasped and rubbed his hands together in alarm. Stan noticed the expression of alarm and tilted his head, turning the TV volume down. "Hey, what's with the face, sixer?"

"We can't give it back," Ford muttered. Stan was glad he had turned down the TV show beforehand, otherwise he wouldn't have heard what his brother had said.

Stan nodded, and his eyes widened. "You're right. We _can't _give it back."

Ford tilted his head. "Did Bill tell you what happened?" He asked.

Stan shook his head. "No, the fired agent, I think his name was Farm. No, Fred. Yeah, Fred," He started. "He said that the company stole it from the original owner, so we have to give it back, just not to the company that he was fired from."

Ford shook his head. "You don't understand, Stanley," He began. "It... _broke._" He said with a sigh.

"What?" Stan asked. He didn't sound livid or upset, just alarmed. "How did it break?" He questioned.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and looked at the ground. "Bill threw it against the wall." He informed.

Stan stood up and folded his arms. "Why?" He asked, applying force with his question.

"He thought it would help." Ford said, and noticed his brother glaring.

Stan shook his head, "That little troll," He muttered. He let his arms fall to his sides and he clenched his fists together. "I'm gonna' go give him a piece of my mind." He said, cracking his knuckles and walking towards the employees only door.

"Stanley, wait!" He exclaimed, moving in front of the door and putting his hands in front of him. "You don't understand what happened, at least let me explain the situation before you go after him." Ford asked. Stan huffed and stopped, looking at his brother with his hands on his hips.

"Remember when the cube illuminated a blue light when you were down there?" He asked. Stan nodded. "It _opened. _There was some sort of timer that was counting down. Bill assumed it was a bomb and wanted to stop the time from ticking down as soon as possible. So, he destroyed it and crushed it." Ford explained.

Stan squinted his eyes. "Maybe he knew that it was something _good, _and wanted to get rid of it!" He thought.

Ford gave him a look. "That doesn't make much sense," He muttered under his breath as Stan passed by him and walking through the door, fists clenched once more. "Stanley!" He cried, dashing around the corner to stop his brother. He grabbed Stan's wrist. Stan turned around and glared, jolting his arm away from the others grasp.

"Violence won't solve anything!" Ford tried, though it was no use. Stan unlocked the vending machine and bolted down the stairs. Ford called his brothers name once more and dashed down the stairs behind him, running towards the elevator. The elevator opened and Ford tripped on the last step, crashing into Stan and practically shoving him into the elevator unintentionally. Stan pressed the button once he was inside, attempting to get down to the basement before Ford got into the elevator with him.

Ford got up from the stone flooring quickly and placed his hands against the elevator door and the frame, pushing it open enough for him to force himself inside. Stan scoffed at the behavior and watched his brother jump towards the railing along the walls inside the elevator.

"You could have just waited for the elevator to come back." Stan stated. Ford shook his head and looked up at the elevator's ceiling, acting as if his guard was down. Stan noticed the bluffing and scoffed under his breath.

The elevator opened once it reached the bottom, and Bill looked over at the door to see who was entering. Bill sat in an office chair near a desk reading comics in a newspaper, and set it down when he noticed Stan walking towards him with his fists clenched.

"Fez," Bill started, alarmed. He got up out of his chair as Stan glared at Bill and put his hands in front of him, causing the demon to squeal in alarm.

Stan reached his arms over towards Bill and Ford ran up towards his brother, jumping atop him and wrapping his arms around his neck from behind.

"Stanford!" Stan exclaimed, trying to get the other off his back; literally.

Ford grunted and pushed his brother down to the ground, grabbing his arms and pinning them behind his back.

Stan turned his head and glared. "What are ya', some sort of cop comin' to arrest me?" He asked, not looking for an answer.

"I won't let you roughhouse down here, I already told you that violence wouldn't solve anything." Ford stated, getting on his knees and looking at Stan.

Stanley rolled his eyes and sat up once Ford let go of his wrists. "I wasn't gonna hurt him, I was gonna' go look at that Rubik's cube that got smashed."

Ford sighed. "You could have told me that earlier."

"I figured a smarty-pants like you would know that I wasn't gonna hurt the wimp."

Bill glared. "I can hear you." He stated, folding his arms and leaning against the wall.

Stan stood up and looked at the smashed pieces that were the Rubik's cube. He put a hand on his head and grunted. "How are we supposed to fix that?" He asked.

"We could get a new one, a fake one." Bill suggested.

"That wouldn't work," Stan stated. "Only an idiot wouldn't be able to tell that It's not normal."

Ford shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, Stanley. He might be on to something. It took us a week to figure out that it wasn't normal."

Stan rolled his eyes. "Alright, take your lovers idea then." He stated. Ford glared at his brothers words and shook his head. Stan looked at his brother, then down at the ground before he could notice his brothers face flushing. He rolled his eyes and snickered. "Relax, Pointdexter. I'm just joking around."

Bill laughed at Ford's facial expression. "Yeah, chill out, Sixer. No need to get all worked up."

Stan shrugged. "Do ya' think the replacement will work?" He questioned, and Ford nodded, even though he was unsure.

"I hope it does," Ford said. "If it doesn't, I'm not sure what else _will _work."

Bill's eyes shot open. "Sixer, can I go to the store with you to buy one?" He asked, hopefully. He was grinning from ear to ear and beaming in glee. Ford didn't know how he could possibly get out of this, and he would feel horrible for leaving him down in the basement again.

"I don't see why not." Ford said with a shrug. Bill squealed and threw his arms up above his head. Ford chuckled at the behavior and looked at Stan. "Do you need anything, Stanley?" He asked.

Stan folded his arms and tilted his head. "Don't you think It's a little late to go shopping?" He asked. Ford thought about it for a minute and remembered just what time it was.

"I suppose you're right," He admitted. "We'll go in the morning."

Bill sighed obnoxiously. "Lame," He stated.

Stan looked over at the demon and shot him a look. "Be happy you're even _going._" He told the other. He looked at Ford and waved goodbye, showing his way out to go back upstairs for the night.

Bill smirked and waved goodbye. "Oh please, take your time!" He exclaimed. Stan grunted, and decided not to look behind him as he walked over to the elevator.

"I'll be back, I'm going upstairs for a bit," Ford addressed, once Stan left.

Bill pouted. "Where are you going?" He asked.

Ford shrugged. "I'm just going to fill up the coffee filter for tomorrow morning so no one else has to." He stated, and walked over towards the elevator.

"Well in that case, I'm gonna' go crash for the night." Bill stated, and waved Ford away. Ford nodded and opened the elevator, getting inside. He looked inside his coat pocket and felt folded pieces of paper inside. He raised an eyebrow and took one out, unfolding it and reading the message. He rolled his eyes and chuckled, remembering that he had stuffed the notes Bill had written about getting the portal up and running again.

He shook his head and sighed, folding the note up again and putting it back inside his pocket along with the others. _I almost forgot. _He thought to himself. Ford still wasn't sure if he wanted to work on the portal and get it fixed, but he knew if he ever did, now wouldn't be the time. _Certainly _not _now. _

He opened the door to the vending machine and walked through the living room to walk into the kitchen. The TV had been turned off, and he assumed that Stanley had also gone to sleep. He walked into the kitchen and opened up a cupboard, looking for the crushed coffee beans.

Once he had put the coffee into the coffee maker, he considered watching a TV show. He walked over to the living room and turned on the TV for a moment, flipping through the channels.

"I should really find an interesting series to get in to, maybe it would take my mind off work all the time," He muttered to himself. He had considered it multiple times, but never got to actually finding a TV series to watch that he would be interested in.

He passed by the game show channel, and he stopped for a moment when he got onto the local news channel. He rolled his eyes at the story that was on the TV. "Who lets their hampster drink a milkshake?" Ford questioned. He was about to flip to the next channel, when he noticed an image of the shack up on the TV.

"Breaking news!" The news reporter began. "A special object has been stolen!" The woman exclaimed.

Ford's eyes shot open. "Oh no..," He exclaimed. Being that there was an image of the Mystery shack at the top of the screen, he was almost _certain _it was about the cube.

"A Rubik's cube has been stolen!" The woman stated. "We now have Agent Powers on the other line." She said, and through the speaker shown on the screen, you could hear the man mentioned yelling at the news reporter, saying 'That's _Mr. Powers _to _you!_'

Ford put a hand in his hair and shook his head. "This is bad." He muttered, his teeth clenched.

The woman spoke to Mr. Powers who was on the phone with the news station. "Agent- er, _Mr. _Powers, why do you need this object so desperately?" She questioned.

Mr. Powers waited a moment, then spoke, being careful with his words. "It's been stolen, why do you _think _we need it, Shandra?"

Shandra Jimenez cringed at the answer, then moved on to the next. "What is so important about this Rubik's cube? Wouldn't it be easier to buy a new one from the local mall?"

"It's important to me because I got it from another person," Mr. Powers stated carefully, making sure not to say too much information. "This cube is... _special _to me. It can't simply be replaced by some other cheap cube." He said, successfully making his reasoning sound personal as if the cube had effected his past in a special way.

Shandra nodded, even though the two were on the phone. "And _why _did you decide to take this news to live TV?" She questioned once more.

Mr. Powers took a pause, then laughed. "Because," He started, "I want everyone who has a heart to know that I would deeply appreciate it if you found this Rubik's cube and brought it back to me." He said, trying to sound as if he were upset. Shandra made a face, showing that she understood his deep concern.

"One final question," The news reporter asked. Mr. Powers encouraged her to ask it. "How can this cube _specifically_ be identified? Is there a certain marking? Any person in this town could easily mistake a different cube for yours. How will the people looking know?"

Mr. Powers chuckled. "Oh," He began. "Someone will know." He stated, referencing to his ex worker, Fred. "I'm sure it will get spread around to... _some _people."

Shandra tilted her head. "Care to explain before we wrap this up?" She asked, and let out a sigh when he heard an obnoxious ringing on the other line, noting that the other had hung up the phone.

The news reporter got together the few papers that were in front of her atop her desk and took them in her hands. "That wraps up our main story of the hour. _I'm _Shandra Jimenez, and I hope to see this man back soon, along with his precious cube!" She joked, rhyming her last words of the night.

Ford's mouth hung open and he was frightened. He couldn't help but feel that the end of Mr. Powers interview was meant for two people, rather than just one when he mentioned _'some_ people.' He figured it was both Him _and _Fred that Powers was addressing.

He sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. He looked up at the clock and noticed that it was nearing 11:30. He sighed and shook his head. _I have to deal with this tomorrow. I can't afford to be tired throughout this mess of a situation._ He told himself.

Ford stood up from the couch and shut off the TV, sighing once more. He walked past the TV and went past the _Employees only_ door to go back downstairs.

He typed in the code on the vending machine and was careful to stay quiet as he sped down the stairs. Once Ford got downstairs and waited for the elevator door to open, he looked around the room to see no one around. The room was quiet and he assumed Bill had gone to sleep whilst he was gone.

Ford walked over to the desk and looked down at the smashed Rubik's cube, groaning. _I'm having second thoughts about this switching technique that Bill suggested. Surely Powers would try to open it or use it in order to make sure it wasn't a fake replacement. _

_Then again... _Ford thought. _Maybe he is unaware of how it opens, perhaps he wasn't certain of how to use the specific powers that it possesses. Er, possessed. _

Ford took off his lab coat and placed it over on a coat rack near the desk, and walked over towards his makeshift bedroom. Ford turned the short corner and reached for his doorknob. He stopped himself and held the handle, squinting his eyes. _I don't remember closing this earlier. _He thought to himself. He assumed that age was finally getting to him, and he opened the door to his room. It was quiet and he reached for the light switch by the door until he heard a sneeze at the other side of the room.

He looked over towards his bed to where he heard the noise and saw Bill sleeping under the covers, his pillow against his torso with his arms wrapped around it. His face was hidden inside the pillow at the top of it as he slept, peaceful and quiet.

_Nope. No, Nope! I'm not doing this again. _

Ford didn't want to wake up the other man since he looked comfortable in his sleeping state, so Ford just sighed and face palmed, closing the door before the other woke up. Ford was going to go back upstairs to sleep in his _other _bedroom. His _original _bedroom. His not-so-usual-bedroom-anymore bedroom, now that he had gotten used to sleeping down in the laboratory. Maybe this was good for him, getting back to sleeping in the room he used to. He walked towards the elevator and waited for the door to open for him.

* * *

The next morning, Mabel woke up to see Dipper still asleep, about to fall off his bed. She smirked and considered walking over to wake him up or to scare him, but decided against it as she got off her bed and grabbed her hairbrush.

Once she got ready for the day, she went downstairs to the kitchen for some breakfast. She skipped into the kitchen where Stan stood, grabbing himself a cup of coffee.

"Hey, kiddo!" Stan exclaimed . Mabel smiled and waved a greeting, walking towards a cupboard to grab a cereal box. Stan looked over at his niece and cringed at her selection of cereal. "Hey, are ya' sure you wanna eat those?" He asked, concerned. Mabel raised an eyebrow and tilted her head in confusion. "I mean, last time you ate Fruity Pebbles, you dumped half the box in your bowl and you were bouncin' off the walls all day."

Mabel laughed awkwardly. "Yeah," She admitted, "That was a weird day."

"Agreed." Stan stated with a nod.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan?" Mabel addressed as she reached for a cereal bowl. Stan looked at Mabel to listen. "Have you seen Grunkle Ford?" She asked, looking around the room.

Stan shrugged. "I dunno', he's always down in that basement of his-" He informed, and was stopped when the figure being spoken about appeared by the door frame of the kitchen.

"I'm right here!" Ford stated with a chuckle. Mabel looked over and squealed, waving to the other. Ford waved back and smiled.

Mabel set down the cereal box on the table and turned to him. "Grunkle Ford, how come you've been so distant recently?" She asked. She knew the majority of the answer but wanted to make sure that he wasn't missing out on something important.

Ford shrugged. "Oh, I _have _been down in the laboratory more often recently, haven't I?" He said.

Mabel nodded and sighed, "Why, though?"

"Because," Ford started. "I've been occupied with some other things, sweetie."

Mabel folded her arms. "Occupied with _who?_" She asked, using her suspicious facial expression.

Ford opened his mouth to speak, then closed it, rethinking. Mabel laughed and rolled her eyes. "Just kidding, I know who," She informed with a smirk. "Where is he?" she asked, curious of where the dream demon was.

"Bill?" Ford asked, and Mabel nodded. "He's down in the lab."

Mabel sighed obnoxiously and groaned. "When can he come up _here?_" She wondered. "Just because he's a bad guy doesn't mean he can be cooped up in the basement!" She said, putting a hand on her heart. "Can I _please _see him today, Grunkle Ford? Please, _Please?_" She practically begged the man.

Ford shrugged his shoulders, not knowing how to decline the request. "I don't see why not." He said with a smile. Mabel beamed in excitement and ran up to Ford with her arms extended, hugging onto his legs tight.

"_Yes!_" She exclaimed. "Thank you Grunkle Ford!"

Ford chuckled at the behavior and ruffled her hair for a moment. Stan took a sip of his coffee and sighed. "I don't know, Sixer," Stan started. Ford looked up at his brother. "Don't ya' think he could hurt one of the kids?"

"I'll be with him." Ford assured. Stan shrugged, unsure if it was a very good idea but, he trusted his brother to keep the kids safe. "If you don't mind me asking, Mabel," Ford began again. Mabel looked up and took a step back, tilting her head. "How come you would like to see Bill so badly?" He asked, and noticed a figure put a hand on his shoulder form behind, smirking at the way Ford flinched at the touch.

"What can I say?" Bill said with a smirk. "I suppose I'm irresistible!"

Ford shifted away from the other and folded his arms. "How long have you been there?" He asked, concerned.

Bill just shrugged. "About a minute or so." He approximated.

Ford just sighed and looked at Mabel. "Well, here he is." He presented with a small smile.

Mabel looked at Ford, then at Bill. Her mouth hung open a bit as she took a few steps towards the other. Bill looked at the approaching girl and took a step back. "What are you doing?" He asked. Mabel tilted her head and continued to walk towards him. Bill took yet another step back, running his back into the railing on the stairs. He hissed in both pain and delight.

"You..." Mabel started. "It's... It's _you._"

Bill nodded awkwardly. "Yeah," He muttered. "Boring, old, useless me." He said, forcing a laugh. He shivered as Mabel continued to walk towards him. "Kid, what are you doing?" He sputtered, leaning away from the girl. Mabel gave him a look as if she were staring into his soul. She stopped and began to burst out in laughter, clutching her stomach as she collapsed to the floor.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Uhh," He said, not sure about what was happening.

Mabel continued to laugh. "You should have seen the look on your face!" She exclaimed.

Bill glared. "You won't wanna see the look on your face when I-" He stopped his words and looked over at Ford, who was still standing by the kitchen with his arms folded. He shot a short warning glare at the demon as he shook his head in dissaprovable. Bill sighed obnoxiously and looked down, watching Mabel as she attempted to force herself up from the floor.

"I'm Mabel!" She greeted, sticking a hand out. "You probably remember me. You know, when you tried to destroy us and all. How has Dippy Fresh been, by the way?" She questioned, putting her hands on her hips, waiting for an answer.

"He's dead." Bill stated. "I think..." he muttered, to himself more than anyone else.

Mabel chuckled at the response. "So, why are you... like _this?_" the brunette questioned, motioning her hands around Bill, questioning how he became human.

"That's a long story, kid," Bill started. "One that I'd rather not repeat."

Mabel nodded. "Hey, why are you being so..," She started. Bill raised an eyebrow, hoping she would finish her sentence. "So _nice_?" She practically forced out of her.

Bill glared at the wall and sighed. "I'm _not _nice. Just because I haven't torn you apart limb by limb doesn't mean I'm _nice._"

Mabel cringed at the response, but nodded her head. "Um, okay," She said, folding her arms. "So, why are you _here?_" She asked.

Bill rolled her eyes and looked at the girl, scoffing. "I'd rather _not _be here," He lied. "Your uncle Fordsy is keeping me here against my _will._" He spat, folding his arms and glaring at the man. Stanley looked at Ford for a moment then shrugged, deciding he would leave the room to go watch some TV before his work shift begun.

Mabel nodded suspiciously. "Part two of that question," She started. "Why _aren't _you here?" She asked.

Bill raised an eyebrow once more then sat on the wooden floor, nearly hitting his head on the railing of the stairs. "What are you talking about? I've been here for _weeks._"

Mabel shook her head, and sat down on the ground across from the demon. "That's not what I mean." She started. "You've been in the shack, but I've only seen upstairs, up here with everyone _twice. _Why?"

Bill ran a hand through his hair and shrugged. "Honestly, kid, I wish I _could _be around here a bit more." He stated, shooting a glare in Fords direction. Ford sighed and looked up at the ceiling, walking into the kitchen to grab a cup of coffee before the morning trip.

Mabel nodded and squinted her eyes for a moment in thought. Her eyes shot open and she smiled from ear to ear. "I have an idea!" she exclaimed. Bill sat up straight and looked at the girl in confusion. "While you're here, I could teach you how to knit a sweater! Then whenever you're bored, you could always knit a sweater!"

Bill hummed for a moment, considering the offer. "I don't know, shooting star. I'm pretty sure anything and everything I make will end up tortured and destroyed." He stated, being serious with her words.

Mabel shook her head and swatted her hand in sarcasm. "Psh! Come on, I'm sure you could give it a try. You'll love it!" She encouraged.

Bill shook his head. "I doubt it. It sounds boring, anyway." He said, getting up and stretching his arm. "I'm gonna be gone today, believe it or not." He looked away, then folded his arms, looking back at Mabel once more. "And uh, kid?" He addressed. Mabel nodded, listening. "Why are you being so nice to _me_?" He asked.

Mabel laughed. "I like to forget the past and move on. You're defenseless and I feel bad!" She said in honesty.

Bill glared in offence. "_Hey, _I'm not _defenseless!_" He shot back, snapping his index finger and thumb together and showing off a minor blue flame that lasted for a total of only two seconds. "I still have _some_ magic. And It's growing as we speak."

Mabel smirked and punched him in the arm, playfully. "You better not cause another Armageddon!" She joked.

Bill was a bit amused by how quickly the child had moved on. He grunted and looked away from the girl. "It was called _Weird_maggeddon, and don't get your hopes up. I'm still holding power, and who knows! I could be immortal by now. I'm not afraid to start another round right now!" He exclaimed, sparking blue flame to his fingertips and flicking it down to the ground. The motion didn't do much, instead the blue flame hit Mabel's sweater, igniting it slightly. She looked down and swatted it away in little to no alarm in her eyes.

Bill huffed and folded his arms, glaring and stomping away in embarrassment at the way his power had failed him so miserably. Ford shook his head and chuckled, turning around with a cup of coffee in hand. "Are you ready to go?" Ford asked the demon. Bill smirked, considering making some sort of joke to upset the other man. He objected it, and simply nodded his head.

"Good. I think I've come up with an idea on how to make this switching technique work out a bit more effectively. For a bit, anyway." Ford stated, adjusting his glasses. "When we take apart the Rubik's cube, the middle square is connected to a gizmo that makes the cube turn. If we can find a way to get a blue light inside the circular shape that can light up on command by saying a certain word or doing a certain thing, It could possibly give the glowing effect that we witnessed the other day."

Bill looked down at the floor for a moment and nodded slowly, processing the plan. "Hey, that idea's not half bad, sixer." He stated. Ford smiled, appreciating the compliment. "It might work for a bit. But how do we know if they'll notice or not?"

"That's exactly _why _we should add this blue light. It has a good chance of giving us enough time to return the cube and leave the building before they can storm off after us. I did some thinking last night, and I believe that the cube lit up whenever we said a specific sentence or word. Do you have any idea what it was?" Ford asked the demon, hope in his voice.

Bill thought about it for a moment then looked at Ford. "Well," He started. "It seemed to light up whenever we mentioned it being dangerous or secretive in some way."

Ford nodded. "I do recall myself telling Stanley he would be better off leaving the situation to us when it illuminated for the first time. We were talking about the cube as if there was some sort of _secret _device."

Bill folded his arms. "We can think about it on the way, Stanford! If you don't hurry, they're gonna come get ya'!" He said, half-joking. Ford rolled his eyes and nodded.

"You're right. We should really get going. Follow me!" Ford commanded, motioning for the demon to follow him. Bill smirked and followed after the man as they dashed towards the door.

Ford closed the door behind him, as Bill went ahead. The two walked over to Stan's excuse of a car, and Bill opened the passenger seat door, yelling "Shotgun!" Ford chuckled and sighed in thought. _I suppose I should give him a chance at it. _

Bill sat in the passenger seat and put on his seat belt. Ford looked at the demon, surprised that he even _bothered _to put his seat belt on. He, too, got into the car, shutting the main door and grabbing his keys from his coat pocket.

Ford started the car and turned on the heat source, as it was still cold outside. Bill put his hands out in front of a vent that was in front of him, and he shivered at the way the heat had changed the temperature in his fingertips. He put his hands up to his cheeks and sighed in bliss at how the heat warmed his face. Ford looked a the behavior and chuckled, looking behind him to back out of the driveway. Bill looked behind out the back window as well, convinced that there was someone there.

Once Ford turned the car around and they drove on the path, Bill extended his arm out towards the console in the front beside him. He squinted his eyes at all the buttons that were there, and tried to find a button that would spark entertainment.

Ford looked over for a moment, then looked back at the road. He extended his right arm towards the radio button, and loud rock music began to blast. The demon laughed hysterically and Ford cringed, turning down the volume severely to stop the car from shaking. Bill held his stomach as he laughed. Ford rolled his eyes and laughed along with the demon. He looked over for a moment to change the station, and Bill swatted his hand away.

Ford put both hands on the wheel, and gave Bill a look for a split second before looking back at the road. Bill shook his head and scoffed sarcastically at the scientist. "Do you _know _who this _is_?" He questioned, looking at the other man. Ford shook his head, unsure of what band was playing. Bill scoffed once more and shook his head. "Whatever, Sixer. MCR is too good for old people." He said with an eye roll.

Ford scoffed at the insult and looked at the demon with a sarcastic smirk. "I'm sorry, you're _how _old?" He questioned. The demon glared and folded his arms, looking out the window and away from Ford. Ford chuckled and shook his head, turning the steering wheel. "We should be there in about five minutes," Ford informed. Bill nodded at the information.

"You know, just 'cuz your old doesn't mean you look the part." Bill muttered.

Ford smiled lightly at the compliment, forgiving the demon for his past insult. "Speak for yourself," He said with a chuckle. "You look like you're in you're early 30's!"

"More like early 3,000's." Bill said with a smirk.

Eventually, the two men approached the mall, and Ford drove in to the parking lot. He looked around for a parking space and Bill pointed towards an open spot. Ford pulled in to the empty parking space and took his foot off the wheel, turning off the music and shutting off the car. "Are you coming with?" Ford asked the demon.

Bill nodded. "What, 'ya think I'm just gonna sit here in the car?" He asked.

Ford shrugged and opened the car door. "Well, It will only take a few minutes so I figured I would ask."

Bill took off his seatbelt and opened his car door, keeping it left open wide as he walked over towards the other man.

"Bill!" Ford exclaimed, rushing over towards the car door that he had left open. "You have to _close _the door to make sure no one gets in or tries to take something."

Bill smirked and reached into his black jean pockets. "Oh, you mean like _this_?" He asked, holding out a stick of spearmint gum in front of Stanford.

Ford rolled his eyes and showed a slight grin. "Yes, exactly like that." He said. Bill nodded and took off the wrapper, popping it into his mouth. He began to walk towards the store and stopped right in front of the trunk, opening his eyes and gagging. The demon began choking for a moment as the piece of gum slid too far back in his mouth, rubbing against his throat. Bill slammed a hand on the truck of the car and coughed gravely. Ford's eyes shot open as he witnessed the situation.

"Are you okay?" Ford asked, already knowing the answer. He dashed behind the demon and gave him a swat on the back that forced the stick of gum to fly out of his mouth.

Bill half-collapsed onto the trunk and breathed gracelessly, catching his breath. Ford looked at him with concern and reassurance in his eyes. He put a hand on Bill's shoulder and looked into his eyes. "Can we go inside?" He asked the other.

Bill nodded, taking a deep breath and sighing in a relaxed state. He took his hands off the trunk of the car and walked with Ford towards the mall.

The two entered the building and witnessed a variety of crowds around. A few people were getting their order paid for, and others were still deciding. The place was open and spaced out, helpful to those who are shopping.

"This place is huge!" Bill exclaimed, looking around.

Ford nodded. "Which is why we must stay together. We can't afford to get lost, or for one of us to lose the other. There isn't much time left."

"Well, how much time _is _there?" Bill asked, looking at the other man.

Ford sighed and shrugged slightly. "If I were to predict a time span, my guess would be around two hours."

Bill scoffed and grinned. "Come on, Sixer. That's plenty of time!" He said. Ford shook his head at how laid back the demon was. It wasn't the point of finding a replacement Rubik's cube. It would be difficult to find a small blue light to fit inside or outside of the cube in order to make it work. He walked forward with Bill as they made their way towards the toy section.

Bill walked into the Isle and his eyes widened at the sight of a toy dinosaur that was painted green, and in the shape of a T-rex. "Hey!" He exclaimed. "This looks like my ol' pal, Jimmy!" He said with a grin.

Ford tilted his head. "You were alive back then?" He questioned.

Bill smirked. "Oh, Fordsy," He sang with a smirk. He nudged the man as he spoke. "I've been around longer than you could guess."

Ford nodded with a look on his face, not even wanting to guess. Instead of adding on to it, he chuckled and made a joke. "Well, if you're stuck like this forever, you might not want to go around ever girl you see saying that," He said. Bill tilted his head in confusion. "I don't know if women in their 20's would be comfortable with dating someone older than the Earth."

Bill glared. "Hey, at least I don't look the part." He stated.

Ford smirked. "Well, not _yet, _at least. If you're mortal, you're human form will age until your time comes."

Bill huffed and stomped to the other side of the Isle, looking at other items. He saw a variety of things such as Notebook journals, Stuffed animals, Balloons, Race cars, Barbie dolls, and other assortments of objects. He looked around and finally found a Rubik's cube. "Hey, Sixer!" He exclaimed. Ford looked over at him and walked towards him. "I found one."

Ford took the item from Bill's hands and examined it. "I don't think this will work, It uses plastic pieces instead of stickers. The old cube had stickers and I'm not sure how easy it will be to find one that still uses them."

"How come we can't just apply stickers onto it?" Bill asked.

Ford stopped for a moment and looked at the cube once more. "Well," He started, considering what the demon had said. "I'm not sure that would work, either. The cube pieces on this one are colored plastic, and the old cube had black pieces with the stickers overtop. Unless we paint it, I don't think it will work very well."

Bill shrugged. "I'll paint it," He offered. "I might as well, since I was the one that broke the real one."

Ford considered it and smiled at the fact that the other was truly willing to help. He thought about it, and gave the cube back to Bill. "I would let you, Bill, but I don't think the paint would dry in time. Plus, the coat of paint may chip off."

Bill folded his arms. "Stanford, It's a _false _cube. If we put it in front of a fan, the pieces will dry faster. And who cares if it eventually chips? As long as we're careful with it before the cube gets to the police, it won't matter once we drop it off because by the time they find it, we'll already be gone!"

Ford sighed and nodded. "I suppose you're correct. We should consider finding some fast-drying paint if we have time." He stated, walking away.

"Wait, Sixer!" Bill said, extending his arms out. Ford looked behind him, stopping as he tilted his head. "I wanna hold the cube." Bill said. Ford nodded, and gave the Rubik's cube back to Bill before leaving the toy isle.

Ford looked around and didn't see anything for paint, so he considered looking for a blue light first. "I used a black light back when I wrote the journals, maybe if we find something like that, I can tweak the color and create a source of luminous-"

Bill sighed obnoxiously, and Ford stopped his sentence to look at the demon. "Sixer, come on!" He exclaimed. "Couldn't we just go to the party isle and get one of those tiny colored lights that will turn on when someone presses the button on a controller?"

Ford tilted his head once more. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

Bill face palmed. "Follow me." He stated, grabbing Ford by the hand and practically dragging him around. Ford stumbled at first, but went along with the other. Ford tried to take his hand away, but Bill held it tighter. Stanford decided not to fight him on it, and just walked along with him. Ford looked to his side and noticed a young woman with her child in a stroller, turning her head and giving him a look of disapproval. Ford sighed and looked down at the ground, shaking his head. _People are getting the wrong idea. _

Bill stopped once they reached the party isle and he turned to look at the other man. He frowned and folded his arms, finally breaking his grip. "Sixer, hurry up. Like you said, we have to hurry."

Ford looked up at Bill and forced a smile. "Right, sorry," He stated, walking into the isle and looking around. "Do you see what you were suggesting earlier?"

Bill looked around, squinting his eyes at potential objects. "Hmm," He thought, folding his arms. "I'm not seeing it yet."

"Do you perhaps know the _name _of the product?" Ford asked, looking at Bill.

The demon just shook his head. "No, I've only seen them around."

Ford nodded and sighed. "I remember how you said it has 'a light with a remote control', so we could always find a controller-operated LED light set of some kind."

Bill shook his head. "Those things are huge, Stanford. It wouldn't be able to fit inside."

Ford looked at Bill, then looked behind him. "I have an idea." Ford stated, dashing out of the isle. Bill rolled his eyes and sighed, following the other man to yet _another _part of the store. Ford looked down at his watch, and grunted at the time. A half hour had _already _slipped by. "We have to hurry!" Ford said to the other. Bill nodded and looked over as Ford pointed to the correct isle.

They ended up in the light figures department, and Ford looked on both sides of the isle. Bill raised an eyebrow and folded his arms in doubt. "This place has light bulbs. They won't work for what we're trying to do."

Ford shook his head. "We're not looking for that," he assured as he folded his arms, extending them and grabbing a product. "We're using _this!"_ He said with a grin. Bill nodded slowly, not completely following along with the situation. "Here's the idea; We put this tiny blue LED light inside the circle of the Rubik's cube after cutting a hole inside the base, and multiple small ones so that the light will shine the light outside of the cube. We put the Rubiks cube back together and use the remote control to turn the light off and on whenever nessesary." Ford explained.

Bill's eyes widened, clearly confused. Still, he smiled from ear-to-ear as if he understood every word. Ford rolled his eyes and smiled. "It will make more sense when we get to work on it." He stated.

Bill nodded, and leaned over Ford's shoulder to look at the back of the package. "This set comes with ten colors, so we could put the extra ones around the house when the holidays come around." Bill suggested.

Ford made a look of consideration. "If we still have the remote, I'm sure it could work."

Bill nodded and smirked lightly "Speaking of holidays," he mused. "Thanksgiving is coming up, maybe we could put them out then."

Ford shrugged and sighed. "I'm not sure. I havent participated in thanksgiving in thirty years, not counting the Thanksgiving in Dimension 83." he said, shaking his head and looking down at the ground. He shivered at the thought.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Why, what happened?" He asked, curious.

Ford shook her head. "We are in public," he stated. "Lets just say... that dimension has a strange, _strange_ way of showing what they're thankful for." He said, looking down and biting his lip at the memories he would rather forget.

Bill snickered. "I bet you didn't object the contact though."

Ford's eyes widened and he shook his head. "No, I mean yes, umm," he sputtered, scratching his neck. "They wouldn't let me go." he tried.

"Sure, Stanford. I'm _sure_." Bill mocked with a smirk.

Ford glared at the other. "Bill Cipher, we are in a _public _space."

Bill shrugged. "So?" he questioned.

Ford shook his head and grabbed the light set from the other. Bill pouted at the motion and walked out of the isle, Ford following along.

"You know, the kids are home for Thanksgiving and they're gonna grow up to become hideous adults. Don't you think you should spend this holiday with them before It's too late? You'll live to regret it if you don't." Bill stated, as the two walked towards the checkout.

Ford nodded "You're right, not on the 'hideous adult' bit, but I'm sure I would regret it later on.

Bill inhaled deeply in a quiet manner to not draw attention to himself, and let the breath out slowly. Ford looked over at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Bill?" he questioned. The mentioned looked at him and gave a look. Ford tilted his head. "Are you okay?" be asked quietly, to keep the conversation private."

Bill shrugged. "I dunno, just thinking." He said.

Ford nodded slowly, and reached for a bottle of paint modeled by the checkout. He payed for the order as Bill grabbed the bag impatiently.

On the way home, the two men hardly spoke to each other. The ride felt longer than usual, and once they got home, the two got right to work. They tore off the squares on the new Rubik's cube. As Bill painted the pieces, Ford worked on the light. It took nearly 45 minutes, but the tqo finished and were reqdy to test.

Ford turned on the controller, and clicked the button for the blue light. Due to the last minute hypothesis's, the light illuminated a bit less than the original, but both Bill and Ford were convinced that it was as close as they would get.

As soon as the cube was finished, the two ran back to the car.

"We can't bring the cube straight to Powers. We should give it to the police first. I would recommend going to sherrif Blubbs." Ford said.

Bill nodded and got into the car. He watched Ford get into the drivers seat and sighed. "Hey, sixer?" he began. Ford looked to his right and raised an eyebrow at Bill as he buckled his seat belt. "Do ya' think you could teach me how to drive someday?"

Ford's eyes widened slightly as he started the car. "What?" he asked, assuming he misheard.

Bill shrugged and looked out the window as Ford backed out of the driveway. Bill wore a frown. "You know, in case I really _don't _get back to normal." he said, seriously. "If I'm stuck like a human forever, I want to learn how to function. I _really _want to learn how to drive, Stanford. And..," he sighed and looked at Ford as they got on the road. "I want _you_ to teach me. No one else, I don't want a random fleshbag that I don't trust to show me."

Ford looked at the other for a moment before drawing his eyes back to the road. "You_ trust_ me?" Ford asked, surprised.

Bill hung his head and nodded slowly. "You seem to be the only one who cares about me besides shooting star. The only one who even cares about my existance. Everyone else thinks I'm better off _dead _and _forgotten."_

Ford sighed and his cheeks showed a slightly noticable tone of pink. He gripped the steering wheel and adjusted his glasses quickly. "Eveyone deserves a second chance." Ford stated.

Bill gave a small, true smile, then shook it away, looking out the window once more, saying nothing more.

The two made it to Blubbs at the police station, who happened to had just finished his lunch break with Deputy Durland. Ford parked the car and took the false Rubik's cube. Bill got out as well and watched Ford aas he walked up to the men.

"Stanford Pines, long time no see!" Durland greeted. Ford smiled, greeting the man back. Ford said his reasoning for for driving to the police station.

"Th-this is for Mr. Powers." Ford began, hoping he wasn't seen suspicious. Bill walked up to Ford and grabbed the cube out of his hand.

Bill entended his arm along with the cube. "We're returning this to Mr. Powers. It was stolen, and we found it for him.

Sherrif Blubbs nodded, believing Bill's lie. "Mr. Powers is here right now," he informed. He called out to Powers and Ford cringed in alarm.

Mr. Powers came out and looked at Ford. "You," he started. "You're the man who researches this town, correct?"

Ford gave a short nod and Mr. Powers looked over at Bill. "And who are you?" He asked.

Ford tried to think of something, but the demon thought quicker. "I am his _boyfriend._" Bill stated. Fords eyes widened at the words Bill had spoken, and he felt his face flush as the demon put an arm around him. "Here's your lame cube. We found it in a donut shop the other day when we went out for brunch." Bill continued.

Mr. Powers took the cube and looked at Bill. "Are you certain this is the correct one?" he asked, seriously.

"I don't know, my boyfriend found it under a booth, so It could just be some random cube."

Mr. Powers nodded. "You two don't have anything _secret _that you're trying to hide, yes?"

Ford scambled for the remote in pocket and pressed the button when he said 'secret'.

Bill shrugged once more. "I mean, I was secretly going to propose to the _love of my life, _but I suppose It's not much of a _secret _anymore." Ford silently gasped at the deep lie. _I could only wish._ Ford thought to himself, but pushed those thoughts away as he pressed the remote button once more.

Powers smirked and nodded. "Thank you, gentlemen. I wish you both a happy marriage." He said with a fake smile, hoping the two would leave.

"Let's go, _honey."_ Bill sugarcoated. Ford laughed awkwardly and was quick to say goodbye to the others.

The two got back into the car and drove off quickly. "What was the point of that?" Ford asked. He didn't sound angry or livid, however he sounded rather unamused and slightly afraid. Bill shrugged and snickered, not bothering to answer.

Mr. Powers cackled silently. "Finally, my _secret_ weapon has been returned." He stated, looking down at the cube. He saw no light shine and used the secret word multiple times. It didn't work and Mr. Powers grunted in anger. "Find them! Those two lied, we must get them here and set up an interrogation immediately."

Blubs and Durland nodded at the job given and rushed to a police car to follow Bill and Ford, wherever they were planning to go.

_"I am not one to be trifled with.__" Powers muttered to himself._

**Ahh! This chapter is finally finished! It was super long, sorry if that annoyed anyone. We have a new cover for this story! I hope you like it (:**

**New chapter up pretty soon!**


	21. An old friend

**Sorry for the wait on this chapter, I was writing a story request by a user that consisted of two chapters. I wanted to take a short break on this story to work on theirs so that the project wouldn't get delayed. **

**If you've ever watched the TV show Grimm, The interrogation room in this chapter looks very similar to the one in the show. **

**YOU KNOW WHAT'S FUNNY? I made a reference to MCR in my last chapter, and a few days later (On Halloween) I find out they're going ON TOUR for the first time in over 6 years! Don't try and tell me to stay calm! (:**

**Here is chapter 24!**

Stanford and Bill were driving back home, assuming everything was okay. Assuming that there _weren't _people following them. Assuming that there _wasn't _an angry agent back at the police station, and that there _weren't _police officers coming to take them back to the station for Interrogation. However, assuming did them little to no justice as Bill noticed a blue light flashing against his passenger seat window. He raised an eyebrow and turned his head to look at the back window of the car, noticing a police car following after them. "Sixer..," Bill warned, a shiver going up his spine.

Ford looked at Bill for a short moment, then looked at where the other man was looking. He too noticed the police car and rolled his eyes. He put his eyes back on the road and spoke his question aloud. "Should I just stop here and see what they need?" He asked himself.

Bill glared and put a hand on Ford's shoulder as if he were some sort of idiot. "Are you crazy?" He practically scolded. Ford looked at him for a moment in confusion, and drew his eyes back onto the road. "Stanford, they're clearly following us because they found the truth about the cube. They're gonna arrest us if we stop!"

"And if we _don't_ stop, we'll get in even more trouble!" Stanford said back, looking at the demon for a short moment before looking back onto the road. He clenched the steering wheel tighter with his hands and sighed. "This isn't good," He muttered. He turned to the side of the road slightly, pulling over and putting his foot down on the brakes.

Bill raised his eyes and shook his head in alarm. "Sixer, what are you _doing?_" He asked, clear alarm in his voice.

Ford sighed. "The _right _thing." He stated, nearly coming to a complete stop. Bill shook his head and grunted, scooting over closer to the controls and taking the wheel. Ford looked over at him as his eyes widened. "Bill, what are _you _doing?" He asked in alarm, trying to move the demon away from the steering wheel. Bill tightened his grip and took his left foot, pressing down on the peddle in an attempt to continue driving. Ford grabbed his wrist and tried to jolt it off the steering wheel. Bill glared and shove his hand away, grabbing the steering wheel once more.

"Bill, cut it out!" Ford exclaimed. He understood that Bill was nervous, but he didn't want to get in more trouble with the police than they already would be. And with Stanley putting crimes on his permanent record as he was posing as him all these years, he couldn't afford to get into more trouble with the law.

Bill shook his head, trying to move the vehicle. "Sixer, we have to _go! _I don't want to go to jail! You can't let them take me away like this!" He wailed.

Ford shook his head and sighed, pushing Bill away. Bill folded his arms and glared, sitting back down into his seat. Ford put the vehicle back on the side of the road and looked at the demon with remorse. "I won't let them hurt you." He assured.

Bill scoffed. "I don't care if they hurt me, I don't want to be alone again!" He said, glaring at Ford with grief shining in his eyes.

"Again?" Ford questioned. "What do you mean _again_?" He asked, looking at Bill with concern.

Bill looked behind him and scoffed. "That doesn't matter. The police are already here to take me away." He stated, looking out the window and away from Ford. Ford sighed and through his drivers window to see Sheriff Blubs walking towards the car. He rolled down the window and looked at the police officer, trying to keep a straight face.

"Stanford pines?" Blubs questioned, and Ford nodded. "You better have a good explanation for this."

Ford opened his mouth to say something. _I have to confess. There's nothing else I can do. _The thought to himself, biting his lip.

Bill listened in for a moment and turned to face Sheriff Blubs as he put a hand on Ford's shoulder. "Hey, don't blame him for this, man!" He exclaimed. Ford looked at him in confusion, but decided not to say anything. "This is _my _fault, anyway. My Fordsy had nothing to do with this." He half-lied.

"Even if you're telling the truth, he seems to be your getaway driver." Blubs stated, folding his arms. Durland walked over, listening in to the conversation.

Bill shook his head. "Only because I bribed him," He lied. Blubs raised an eyebrow. "You promise men who are aging extra kisses, and they accept just like that!" Bill exclaimed, with a snap of his fingers for show.

Blubs chuckled lightly and looked down. "I know the feeling," He muttered to himself. He quickly looked back up and glared once more. "What was your name again, young man?" Blubs asked the demon.

"Bill," He answered. Blubs raised an eyebrow, hoping for a last name. "Bill _pines.__" _He informed, putting his hand overtop of Ford's to give a sign to the police officers, also to cover Ford's fingers so that the officers couldn't see if there was a ring or not.

Ford looked down at their hands as Bill clasped them together. He exhaled through his nose so that he wouldn't draw attention to himself. Part of him felt afraid in some way, but it wasn't_ too_ strange to him on_ why_ the other part of him didn't mind the gesture. He just looked back at the officers and smiled.

Deputy Durland looked down at the clipboard given to him last minute, when Mr. Powers had jotted down a few sentences of instructions. He squinted his eyes at the words and tried to identify them. "Well, Bill Pines, we're going to have to..," He said, slowing his words as he honestly tried to read the instructions.

Blubs looked at Durland and sighed. "I've got it, Edwin." He muttered, grabbing the clipboard and reading what was written. "Bill Pines, you're temporarily under arrest for the crime of destroying private property, and _deeply _upsetting Agent- Uh, _Mr._ Powers." He said, muttering the last bit and correcting his name error.

Deputy Durland sighed and shook his head, looking at Blubs. "Shucks... now that I think about it, he'll be _really _darn mad when we get back to the station." He said, mainly to himself. Blubs nodded and agreed with the statement his partner had made.

"Bill Pines, you're coming with us." Sheriff Blubs stated, folding his arms and looking through Ford's side window.

Bill glared and held onto Ford's hand tighter. He wasn't sure if the urge to hold on was anger flowing through his human flesh, or the fear of being alone with people he hardly knew- if he knew _any _of them at _all. _He looked at Blubs, keeping his glare. "I'm only going if _Sixer _gets to come with me." Bill stated, not even noticing he had clenched his teeth together as he spoke.

Blubs raised an eyebrow. "_Sixer?_" He asked. "_What _are you talking about?" Bill motioned his head towards Stanford, pointing a finger towards him for a better answer. The sheriff continued his raised eyebrows, and he folded his arms. "Now what kind of nickname is _Sixer?_" He questioned.

Bill rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak. "What kind of last name is Blubs?" He shot back in defense.

Sheriff Blubs just stared for a moment, then looked at Deputy Durland. Durland shrugged. "The criminal seems pretty emotionally attached to his boyfriend. I don't mind keeping him at the station along with him. If Bill doesn't have him by his side, he might not wanna talk."

It didn't take long for Durland to convince the other officer. Bill and Ford stepped out of the car and were escorted towards the back door on the police car with handcuffs around each others wrists. Bill stepped in to the back of the car first, and Ford stopped himself just as he was about to enter. "Wait..," He muttered. He looked at the police officers. "What about my car?" He asked, concerned.

Durland just shrugged. "What car?" He asked back, confused.

Ford rolled his eyes and looked at Durland. "My _car,_ that I just stepped _out_ of?" He said, looking over to where he had parked the car. Edwin turned and looked over where Ford was looking. He noticed the car and stayed silent for a moment, noticing the car tipping sideways towards a large pit. His eyes widened at the state of his car. He attempted to put his hands in his hair, but was stopped by the handcuffs. Ford scoffed at the situation and looked at his car once more, the vehicle only on two out of the four wheels now.

Durland folded his arms. "That car?" He asked, pointing.

Ford nodded slowly, his mouth still hung open in disbelief. He watched the car as it continued to tip sideways, eventually stumbling on a group of rocks and falling into the deep pit with a loud and painful 'THUD!'

He sighed deeply, upset that his car was more than likely beyond use at this point. Durland motioned for him to enter the back of the police car and he obeyed the order, stepping inside and sitting down.

Bill looked at the upset man and gave a small smirk, hoping to make a joke out of the situation. "Well, at least you can get a new one and take care of it this time, instead of Fez using it for so long and leaving it all in shambles." He stated.

Ford nodded and chuckled slightly while Deputy Durland shut the back door. "I suppose so," Ford said, then lowered his voice severely. "By the way, how long are you planning to keep this whole 'couple' act running?" He asked, looking at the other.

Bill shrugged. "I dunno. It was the only thing I could think of at that time, and it seems to be working pretty well. How long do you _want _to keep it running?" He asked the other man.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Excuse me?" He questioned. It was the only thing he could think of that wouldn't leave him totally embarrassed.

Bill just shrugged. "I mean, I never really asked you how _you _felt about the whole thing. I just kinda went with the idea."

Ford nodded slowly. He felt a bit of comfort realizing that Bill wasn't just caring about himself during the event. It felt nice that Bill even bothered to bring up the situation while they had a moment to themselves. "Well," Ford began. "I don't mind it much if it can help our situation." He said truthfully.

Bill nodded, and bit his lip, slightly disturbed by a thought that came to him. "What if it _doesn't _help? What if it fails and the police find out my _real _last name?-"

"They couldn't do that," Ford assured. "There is no record of your existence as a human, no record of your birth. Unless your human form that you are currently in originally belonged to someone else, even then you would have a different last name." He stated. Bill nodded once more and sighed, looking down at the ground. Ford raised an eyebrow at the behavior. "What is it?" He asked.

Bill shrugged at closed his eyes for a moment. "What if..," He began slowly. "What if worse comes to worst and we have to..." He continued, muttering and drawing his eyes down to the floor.

Ford understood what the other was trying to say and shrugged as he nodded slowly. He sat in silence for a moment, neither of the men bothering to speak. Ford finally sighed and opened his mouth to speak. "Well," He began, but was stopped by the sound of Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland opening the front doors to the police vehicle. Bill and Ford sat there quietly and said nothing else on the way to the station.

* * *

Soos was in the gift shop, sweeping the floor for what had to be the fifth time today. Stan walked into the gift shop counting a stack of cash. He looked up and rolled his eyes at the handyman's behavior.

"Soos, what're you doing?" Stan asked, placing the money on the cashier counter and folding his arms.

The handyman looked up at the old man and gave him a small smile that gave Stan multiple reasons to be suspicious. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Pines. I guess I just really like the floor to be clean." Soos said, chuckling and drawing his eyes back to the floor quickly.

Stan grunted at the words. "Soos," He groaned. "You've been sweeping the floor every hour of every other day. What's goin' on?" He asked, his eyebrows furrowed in question.

Soos sighed and shrugged, not looking over at Stan. "I've just got a lot on my mind, that's all." He muttered, deciding to put away the broom and pretend to fix something.

Stan squinted his eyes and unfolded his arms, instead itching his neck. "Alright Soos, just stop with all the sweeping. The floor doesn't always need to be all spic-and-span, 'ya know." He stated, putting his hands to his sides and walking back into the living room.

Soos sat down on a barrel chair neat the front door once his boss left the gift shop. He reached for an object in his short pockets and took out a folded photograph. He unfolded the photograph and gave a small smile at the person in the picture. "I'm really worried, Melody." He muttered to himself, and to the photograph as if his girlfriend was there with him in the same room as he spoke.

* * *

The ride to the police station wasn't long. If anything, it was quiet and filled with worry. The car got so quiet that Sheriff Blubs became suspicious and had to ask Bill and Ford why they weren't speaking to each other. Both shrugged and looked out their windows.

The walk to the interrogation room was surprisingly peaceful and quiet, save Bill grabbing a pen from the front desk and nearly stabbing Deputy Durland in the eye with it 'unintentionally'. When they approached the room down a couple of halls, Ford and Bill were stopped in front of the door for a moment as Edwin and Daryl spoke to each other.

Ford looked over at Bill as the demon looked through the small glass pane window on the door. Bill's facial expressions didn't seem afraid or alarmed, and Ford raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior. He looked down and observed that both of Bill's hands were shaking. _Could that be his way of showing fear? _Ford asked himself. He was stopped in thought when Blubs opened the door and practically shoved Bill inside.

Ford rolled his eyes and walked into the room. Blubs put a hand out and blocked the doorway, looking up at the other. Ford raised an eyebrow and Blubs shoook his head. "You have _to_ stay out here." He stated.

Bill looked at him and glared. "_No, _he should stay with _me._" He shot back with his teeth clenched. Blubs gave a look towards Durland and Edwin shrugged.

"I don't know what the rules are 'bout all this." Durland said slowly, itching the back of his neck.

Bill looked at Durland and he opened his mouth to speak. "You said so yourself, _Deputy," _He addressed. "If I don't have Ford by my side, I might not want to talk."

Durland looked at Daryl, and the other officer shrugged. The two police officers looked at Bill and spoke in unison. "I don't see why not." They said. Bill smiled and nodded, motioning with his head to come into the room. Ford cracked a small smile and walked in, impressed with Bill's choice of action.

The two police officers were about to walk into the interrogation room, when Mr. Powers stood by the door, glaring at them and motioning for them to get out. Durland raised an eyebrow and Powers muttered something to the two that had to be somewhat threatening now that the two men were running away in alarm, Durland exclaiming his fear. Mr. Powers shook his head and watched them leave down the hallway. "Idiots." He muttered under his breath.

Powers closed the door and motioned for Bill and Ford to take a seat. The two sat down in wooden chairs; Bill in the middle, and Ford sitting in another one to the left of the other chair.

Mr. Powers walked over to the other side of the table, his arms folded. He cleared his throat and looked at Bill with his eyes squinted for a moment. "Do you know _why _you're here?" He questioned. Bill just gave a shrug of his shoulders as his answer, and Powers scoffed at the answer. "What exactly were you trying to pull off?" He asked. Once more, Bill just shrugged, keeping a straight face.

Mr. Powers growled and clenched his fists, slamming them onto the table. "Use some words, you dimwit!" He stated. Ford gave a glare at the way he had addressed the other, and it went unnoticed by the other two in the room. Powers glared at Bill. "Where is the _real _cube?" He asked with force in his voice.

Bill glared back and scoffed. "I'll give you some answers once you tell me why you need this cube so badly!" He shot back.

Powers grunted and hesitated. "And _why _must I respond to the one being interrogated?"

Bill smirked. "Because," He began. "If you want answers from _me, _I'll need some answers from _you, _first."

Powers rolled his eyes. "Oh _please, _you are in no way entitled to an explanation."

"Who knows?" Bill started. "I might not know what exactly it is we're talking about if I don't get a couple answers.

Mr. Powers glared and clenched his teeth together. "You know _exactly _what I'm talking about." He stated. Bill just shrugged and gave him a mocking smirk. Mr. Powers scoffed at the reaction given and sighed in a low pitch. "Very well..," He began, thinking his words through before he would speak them. "This specific cube that I'm looking for has special meaning to it- er, to _me," _He informed, putting a hand on his heart.

Ford could see right through his mess-up of words. He listened in, folding his arms and looking at Powers. It almost seemed as if the agent forgot that he was sitting right beside Bill, because Mr. Powers kept looking at Bill. _Only _Bill. Even when he was speaking, his eyes wouldn't leave the demon.

Mr. Powers put a hand on the wooden table, balancing on it as he leaned over a bit. "I _can't _afford having to deal with someone taking or finding the cube. It _must _stay with _me. _Under _my _protection." He stated.

Ford looked up at Powers and folded his arms. "Why _you're _protection?" He asked literally.

Mr. Powers raised an eyebrow. _I almost forgot about him. _He thought to himself. He put his hands on the table in front of Ford. "What was that?" He asked, impatient on getting an explanation.

Stanford shrugged slightly. "Well, you seem very attached to this cube, but _why _exactly do you need to keep it with _you,_ all on your own? Why not have extra help from the other agents to help keep it safe?" He asked. "Or..," He continued. "Is there a bigger story to this that you don't want us to know?" He asked the agent.

Mr. Powers glared. "As I said earlier to your little _friend, _You are in no way entitled to an explanation, and I am not required to share my reasons." He said. Ford gave him a stare, deciding not to comment on at the moment. He wanted to hear a bit more before speaking again. "Now," Powers continued. "Bill, answer my previous questions."

"How do you know my name?" Bill asked. "I never told _you." _He stated, folding his arms and glaring in confusion.

Powers rolled his eyes. "Edwin Durland and Daryl Blubs filled me in." He informed.

Bill nodded. "Alright, well..," He began slowly. "It's kind of an embarrassing story." He said.

"Proceed." Mr. Powers commanded.

"Well..," Bill started. "It was what we thought was just an ordinary Friday,"

"_We?" _Powers asked. Bill pointed his index finger at Ford and Mr. Powers understood. "Continue." He commanded.

"We, uh..." Bill started, scratching his neck. He looked over at Ford for a few seconds, giving an apologetic look for what was about to come. "We were down in the basement, getting it on, and the cube knocked over from off one of the desks and crashed onto the wall, falling down to the floor and breaking into several pieces." He explained.

Ford looked over at Bill, completely mortified at the way that Bill had explained the situation. He looked down at the chair legs to hide his face from the agent, hoping he wouldn't bluff at a horrible time, and hoping to _god _that his face wasn't flushed.

Mr. Powers rolled his eyes and scoffed sarcastically. "Why on earth would you do such a thing with an _old man?_" He asked the demon in confusion.

Bill glared at Powers the moment the question left his mouth. He stood up and clenched his fists, slamming them down onto the table and causing Powers to flinch slightly. Bill stared down Mr. Powers, and sparks of blue flame began to erupt from his palms, the flame moving out of his palm from in between his fingers. The flames moved all around his fists, not even burning his skin. Mr. Powers looked at the reaction in alarm. Bill glared. "What did you just say?" He asked, his voice turning a bit more familiar to Ford. It wasn't the normal, human voice of Bill that he was getting used to, _no. _Bill's voice began to echo just like it had when he was a triangular shaped demon.

Mr. Powers exclaimed in fear and jumped back, a shiver going up his spine. Bill continued to glare at the agent. "Hah! You're _just _as vulnerable as your _brother!" _He mocked. "And I'm _done _playing this game of Clue! I wan't some more answers from you!" He stated, his voice echoing in a way that had caught Ford off guard a moment ago.

Mr. Powers stuttered and his mouth was acting incapable of producing words at the time. He was hoping that this was all a dream. It seemed like a dream. Maybe he would wake up and open his dresser in his bedroom to find the cube safe and sound. By the looks of it, that wouldn't be the case. "U-um..," He began. Bill walked around the table and took a step closer towards Powers. The agent took a step back to keep a not-so-safe distance between them. "Well, the cube... it-it isn't _mine._" He explained.

Bill and Ford both raised an eyebrow in unison. Ford stood up, folding his arms and looking at the agent for further answers. "Who's was it?" Ford asks.

Mr. Powers stays silent for a moment, not wanting to give the information asked for. Bill growled and more flames erupted from his palms, the flames working up his arms slowly but surely. his eyes illuminating a bright yellow light as a warning of life or death to the agent. "ANSWER HIM!" Bill demanded.

Mr. Powers screamed and tripped on his own foot as he backed up close to the wall, and he collapsed to the floor on his side. He looked up at Bill with his mouth hung open. "W-wait!" He pleaded, putting his hands up in front of him. The agent's vision became blurry, and he found himself unable to speak. Before he knew it, he was out cold.

Bill looked at him and smirked at the way the agent had reacted. "I won..," Bill mocked in a dizzy tone.

Ford looked down at the fallen agent and mentally questioned if he should go get him help. He turned to the door as it flung open, the door crashing into the wall. Ford looked at the person who had opened the door, and noticed a small, familiar figure standing there. "Fiddleford?"

The man mentioned nodded. "You betcha!" McGucket exclaimed, closing the door behind him. "I heard 'bout the situation around here and I've been lookin' around fer _him _all week!" He exclaimed, pointing down at the ground at Mr. Powers.

Ford looked at McGucket in confusion. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you since-" He began.

"The end of the world?" McGucket finished. Ford opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, nodding slowly. "Yep! I got a new house up on the mount'in!" He informed with a grin plastered along his face.

Stanford smiled at the news. "Fiddleford, that's great!" He exclaimed.

McGucket nodded, and looked over past Ford. "What happened to him?" He asked in confusion. "I noticed he was in here, but I never asked what he's doin' on the ground all unconscious like that." He said.

Ford looked over at Powers, then back at McGucket. "Well..," He began. "He fainted."

"Fainted?" Fiddleford asked. He opened his mouth, about to say something, but thought it would be better not to bother asking. "Aw, nev'rmind. I have more important business with him to handle."

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" He asked.

"He stole my gizmo I'd been a-workin' on!" Fiddleford informed. "He took it away and hid it away. I thought it was gone 'fer'ever, but then I saw that interview on the news and knew that it was still out somewhere. So, I went lookin' for it!" McGucket explained, folding his arms.

Ford nodded. "But, where did he find the cube? How did you lose it?" He asked.

McGucket shook his head and put a hand out. "There'll be time for that another day. In the meantime, it'd be best if ye' took yer' friend there home- wherever home is for the young fella." He pointed out to the other man, pointing at Bill who had _also _fainted onto the ground sometime during their conversation.

_How did I not notice him like that before? _Ford asked himself. He felt a bit of guilt for not paying enough attention. "I feel pretty irresponsible for not noticing earlier." He muttered.

Fiddleford nodded slowly and waved as he grabbed hold of the doorknob. "Keep in touch, will 'ya, Stanford?" He asked.

Ford nodded and smiled. "Of course!" He said.

McGucket smiled back and left the room, waving goodbye as he walked down the hall. Ford folded his arms and turned to face Bill, getting down on one knee and rubbing Bill's shoulder gently. "Bill," He called out quietly to see if he had just fallen asleep. Bill flinched a bit and turned over on his side, his eyes not opening.

Ford sighed and tried again. Still, the demon didn't wake up, his eyes didn't open. However, he was still breathing and he didn't seem to be in any pain, so Ford put one hand under the other's back, and his other hand behind his legs, making sure to be gentle as he lifted Bill from up off the ground tenderly in a bridal-style way. Bill shifted a bit at the motion, and muttered something softly under his breath that Ford couldn't quite understand. _He must be talking in his sleep. _Ford thought to himself.

He walked past the wooden table, taking one last look at Mr. Powers. The man was still down on the ground, out cold due to fear. Ford assumed it would be best to leave before something worse happened. He walked over to the door and twisted the doorknob as best as he could, opening it to leave the room. He turned around and closed the door once he got out.

Ford looked around the building and noticed the main exit was just a couple halls away. He began walking and looked down at Bill, noticing the demon nuzzling his face against his neck and snuggling against him while Ford held him in his arms. Ford gave a small smile and looked up, walking towards the door.

As he walked down the hall, Ford stopped as he noticed a lady screaming at a person at the front desk. She seemed angry, as if there were something personal going on. He looked around, trying to find a way around the drama. He heard a crash at the desk and he flinched, looking back over at the lady. She had knocked over a piled of books in frustration, and she fell to the ground in tears. Ford wished he could help the woman, but he had a job of his own at the time.

Ford looked to his right, seeing a door that led to the '_research room_'. He considered going through that way since there was a sign saying it was '_temporarily closed._' He walked over towards the door, and a raging man pushed out of the room, slamming the door against the wall and carrying a cellular phone in his hand, practically scolding the other person on the other line. Ford cringed at the foul words overly-spoken to the anonymous person, and Ford turned around, walking back towards the interrogation room and deciding to go down the other hallway.

He turned the corner and was surprised to see it empty. He smiled at the state of the hallway and walked down it, seeing a sign for another exit down to the left. He turned the corner and came to a quick stop, almost running into a woman with a box of donuts in her hands. Ford took a step back and the lady put a hand over her heart at the jump scare.

"I'm really sorry about that." Ford said in a quiet yet apologetic tone, remembering that he was carrying the demon in his arms.

The lady shook her head. "No, I wasn't looking where I was going. It's not your fault." She assured. Ford nodded slowly and noticed the woman looking at Bill with confusion. "Hey, I think I've seen him before..." She muttered to herself.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "You have?" He asked.

The woman nodded. "Yeah, he took a stop by at the donut shop I work at one time. I'm not surprised that I remember him, he wasn't the average customer." She said with a chuckle. Stanford opened his mouth to speak, but closed it, deciding not to question. Ford read her name tag that was on her shirt, and it read 'Karen'. He looked down at Bill, then at the woman.

Karen tilted her head in thought. "By the way, what _is _his name?" She asked.

"Bill," Ford informed.

Karen nodded. "That's a nice name. Well if he remembers me, tell him I said hi and that I work day shifts every other day if he ever want's to hang out- er, stop by." She said with a smile.

Stanford nodded slowly and watched Karen walk past him and turn the corner to go to the correct place. Ford sighed and continued walking. _How many friends has Bill made in Gravity Falls? _He asked himself.

He walked down the hall, still seeing it as empty. He looked down at Bill to check on his state. The demon seemed to be at peace. By the looks of it, he was just sound asleep at this point. Whatever had wiped him out earlier must have begun to wear off, at least a bit. Ford could feel Bill's slow breaths on his neck. Bill seemed to be a sound sleeper after multiple noises had interfered with his slumber, not to mention the constant moving of footsteps.

Ford looked through the pair of double glass doors and noticed a car that had just pulled in to the back parking lot, into a parking space that read '5 _minutes_'. A young man came out of his truck, taking a large suitcase out from under a dark grey colored tarp secured onto his trunk. He took the suitcase and was walking towards the front door.

_He must be dropping something off. _Ford assumed. Remembering that his car was earlier devoured by a large pit, he needed a way to get himself and Bill home. He considered looking for a taxi, but he was sure that would take a while, and it would be a bit loud. He then considered finding McGucket to see if he could catch a ride, but Ford thought over it again, and wasn't sure if McGucket still_ had_ a license, and he didn't think a time like now would be the right time to ask.

Ford took another look at the tarp on the car and thought of an idea. The stranger had parked in a parking spot that he could only stay occupied in for a total of five minutes. He decided to take a bold move that he hadn't tried in a _long _time. He picked up the idea back in dimension 224, where any synonyms related to 'kind' weren't in their dictionaries. (If they even _had _dictionaries, that is.)

Ford pushed the glass door open with his shoulder, staying cautious of Bill and making sure he didn't get hit on the side of the head with an edge of the door. He walked outside and looked around for the man. The stranger had entered a door with no windows attached to it, and he walked quickly across the parking lot towards his car.

Stanford took his right leg and stepped onto the small plastic platform against the truck, then used his other leg to step into the back of the truck. He got on one knee and balanced Bill's legs against his knee in replace for his arm. He lifted up the tarp and noticed there was nothing under it save a gas pump and a few crushed soda cans.

He lifted up the tarp and took a step under it. Ford laid down on his side as he set Bill down onto the flooring. Ford put his hand under Bill's head to act as a makeshift pillow. The trip back to the house was bumpy some days, and he knew that Bill hitting his head repeatedly would be painful for both of them. Bill moved his arm a bit in his sleep, placing it atop his chest. Ford just watched for a moment as Bill's hand moved with his torso as he inhaled and exhaled. He ducked his head down a bit more when he heard a man from outside sneeze.

Ford heard the truck door open and close, and it didn't take long for the engine to start up. He sighed and looked up at a small hole in the tarp. The sun was beginning to set, and the sky was a beautiful mix of pink, orange, and yellow shades. He smiled at the sight, and looked at Bill who was still sleeping peacefully.

The truck began to move out of the parking spot, and Bill flinched a bit at the sudden movement. His eyes stayed shut, but Ford could tell he could have woken up if the vehicle had backed up faster. The truck took a quarter-turn to get straight onto the road, and the soda cans jolted to the other side of the trunk. Bill shifted along with at the movement, but Ford put his other arm up against Bill's back to keep him from hitting the side of the trunk and waking up. Ford gently pulled him back towards the middle of the trunk, holding him close and keeping the demon on his side rather than his back.

Bill muttered something under his breath in his sleep, and his face began to show expressions of unease and panic. His breathing became more audible, and he started muttering soft cries for help.

Ford looked at the behavior and looked into Bill's shut eyes in case the other woke up. "No..," Bill muttered. "No, no..., no.." He continued. "Stay.." He whispered. He began to mumble a few other words that Ford couldn't quite hear. He gently brushed away part of Bill's bangs in a soft manner in attempt to comfort the other. Bill shifted a bit, and his facial expressions calmed down. He was more serene now, and he let out a nearly inaudible moan as his head moved a bit, burying itself against Ford's chest.

Ford's face flushed, and he gave a small smile. He knew that the situation would be _much _different if Bill had been asleep, but he looked so peaceful in the state that he was in now, so Ford let the action slide, not bothering to move the other man. The ride home wouldn't be too long, but part of Ford wanted it to last longer, maybe even _forever. _

Ford pushed the thought out of his head and sighed. _Why can't I get him out of my head? I keep bringing up his personality. He's not all bad, but is he good? _

The car ride seemed faster than usual for some strange reason. Ford lifted up part of the tarp, looking up. He noticed a sign up ahead for the mystery shack that led to their driveway, and he had to be fast if he planned on making it out of the tarp in time.

Ford lifted the tarp up more, and grabbed Bill. The demon moved a bit at the contact, and put an arm over Ford's shoulder, still fast asleep. Stanford got on one knee, ready to jump off. He looked ahead and saw one of the many signs, along with the big tree that was beside the smaller signs. Ford put an arm atop of Bill's back, and put his right hand up in the air. He waited for the right moment...

Any time now...

Ford snatched one of the thicker branches of the large tree, grabbing ahold of it and jumping off the vehicle's trunk, swinging on the branch and landing onto the flat ground swiftly and smooth. He looked at Bill but couldn't see his face at the moment.

He walked over to the Mystery shack's front door, staying away from the gift shop entrance. Stanford looked around the yard and didn't see anyone around. He was confident that the twins and Stanley were inside the house at the moment. Ford opened the front door to the house and decided on going to a new room than normal.

Ford had given it some thought for the past week, and was deciding that since Bill was living at the shack with the rest of his family now, he might as well have his own room. It wouldn't be so bad to give the demon a bit of peace and personal space. He was human now, and Ford began to feel bad about keeping him down in the basement for so long.

He walked up the stairs and walked down the second floor's hall, turning the corner and opening a door. The room was a decent size, similar size-wise to the other bedrooms in the house. There was a wooden dresser by the door and against the wall. There was a snow globe on top of the dresser, along with a jar of pens and pencils beside it.

The room was dimly lit without lights on. Across from the bedroom door was a bed with a nightstand beside it, along with a lamp that sat on top of it. Ford walked over to the bed and lifted up the sheet as well as he could, gently placing Bill down on the mattress. He adjusted the pillow slightly, and the demon's head collapsed atop of it. Ford took the sheets and put them over Bill, covering him up to his shoulders.

Stanford gave a small smile, and looked out the window. The sky was shades of pink, purple, and a faint touch of orange. He turned around and ran a hand through his hair, putting his foot out to exit the room. He took no more than two steps forward before he felt a hand grab his wrist from behind. He raised an eyebrow and turned around to see Bill's eyes fluttering open. Ford sighed and walked back over by the bed, getting down on a knee beside the other man. He turned on the lamp beside him to show a bit more light.

"Where are we..?" Bill asked, squinting his eyes and looking around the room. His voice had lost its echo, and was back to his 'human-sounding voice'. Although, his tone of voice was different than what Ford had grown used to. It sounded calm, and less foul.

Ford looked out the window, then back at Bill. "We're back at the shack," He informed. "You must have fainted earlier, and at first you looked incapable of being able to wake up. So, I figured it would be best to just come back home."

Bill nodded and looked at Ford. "I don't remember much, the last thing I can remember is freaking out that despicable, close-mouthed Agent." He admitted.

Ford chuckled. "Well, you didn't miss out on much. While you were unconscious the original owner of the cube took a stop by. And to my surprise, it was an old friend of mine..,"

"Fiddlesticks?" Bill asked in question. Ford nodded, and Bill raised an eyebrow. "What'd he have to say about the whole thing?"

"Well," Ford began. "He said he had 'important business to handle' with Agen- er, Mr. Powers." He said. "So I'm assuming Powers will be in some trouble with the law _himself, _for theft reasons of some sort."

Bill smirked at that. "He deserves it, that guy's a jerk." He stated, nodding his head, agreeing with his own statement.

Ford smiled and nodded slowly. "Well, he sure got what he deserved at the time, when you scared him into giving up what was _really _going on. Without that stunt of yours, we probably would have been locked up instead."

"I hadn't planned much of it," Bill admitted. "It kinda just.. _happened_." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

Ford smirked and adjusted his glasses. "Well I suppose we got lucky." He said. Ford stood up and began to walk away, but Bill called out his name.

"Wait..," Bill asked. "We're at the shack, but where am _I?_"

Ford shrugged and put his hands behind his back. "Well, you're living here now, and I felt bad keeping you down in the basement for all that time. We can't get a _true _fresh start if you're being treated like a lab rat. It's not fair to you, and I apologize for my previous actions earlier this month."

Bill's eyes became big for a moment. "A fresh start?" He asked, not sure if he heard correctly. Ford nodded, confirming the statement. Bill sat up, sitting criss-crossed under his sheets. "Why?" He asked.

Ford rolled his eyes. "Does that really need an explanation?" He asked sarcastically.

Bill just shrugged. "Well, I don't know. I mean, you would still want to piece together a broken friendship?"

"Why piece the same one together again when we can start fresh with a clean slate?" Ford stated, a small smile on his face. He took a step back and put his back against the door.

The demon folded his arms and squinted his eyes. "This doesn't sound like something you would normally say," He observed. "Knowing you, you like to hold onto the past. How do I know you're not just trying to change _me_?" He asked. "I feel like this is all some sick lie to get back at me.

"Try me." Ford said with a smirk, opening the bedroom door and closing it, leaving the room with no other context.

Bill sighed and shook his head, not sure of what to think. _A fresh start? _He asked himself. _What's the point? The only reason he wants a 'fresh start' is so that he'll be on my good side when I find a way to become my beautiful, much preferred dream demon form. I miss it more than I thought I would, and I'm still going to find a way to get back to how I used to be, no matter what Sixer has to say about it. _

Bill turned off his lamp and laid back down under his covers. _But what's the point? _He questioned. _I've been in this form for weeks already, and I haven't come across one single solution. _

Oh, how the thought truly _pained _him. Some days Bill wondered if where was any point in trying to return to his original form if there would be no way out in the end. What if there was no going back? There was always that possibility that he had transformed from his original form into this permanently. Was it destiny? Doubtful. Was it payback? Possibly. Bill, the former all-knowing demon, _didn't know. _He hoped the answer would come to him someway, somehow.

Sure, the answer wouldn't fall right into his hands. At least, he didn't think it would. Would Ford help him? He never bothered to ask, but he confident he already knew the answer to that. To be fair, Ford _had _said a fresh start, so maybe he _could _get some help. But should he even risk bringing it _up?_

All Bill could do was _wait. _And _that. __THAT _was worst of all.

**I hope you liked this chapter! Do you like where this story is going? I feel like it's a decent plot, but I don't know :/ Comment an opinion if you wish :3**


	22. A Soos Excuse

**OKAY, I REALLY wanted this chapter up the day before Thanksgiving but unfortunately this is a few days late. In this chapter, it's the day before Thanksgiving. **

**Warning for language at the end, anything severe I will "bleep" out. **

**Here is chapter 25!**

It was an ordinary morning in the Mystery Shack- even for Stanford. It's funny, the first day he brought Bill to the shack, he assumed he would be miserable for as long as his life would carry on. It surprised him that Bill was more comfortable staying at the shack with people he once hated. In fact, he probably _still _hates them. The fact that the demon was tolerating the situation decently was a surprise to Ford.

The clock in the kitchen read 8:15. Ford was standing by the coffee pot, waiting for the drink to be ready. He wondered multiple things in the morning, but he felt like today's thought had a bit more meaning.

_Should I go visit Fiddleford? _He asked himself. _I might as well see if he has the same phone number he had thirty years ago. _Ford thought about looking around through all the boxes down in his study for the man's number, but shook his head. _There's no way he would have the same number by now. I just might pay him a visit in the mere future. _

The coffee pot shined a tiny light, notifying that the coffee was ready. He grabbed the handle and reached for his coffee mug. He remembered his emotion reading device. _That _had been a fail. _Now that I think about it, I should fix it up and give it another go._

Stan walked into the kitchen and greeted his brother. "Hey, what's the scoop sixer?" He asked with a smirk.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked, confused.

Stan rolled his eyes and leaned on the counter beside Ford. "What happened with those agents? Did the plan work? Did ya' get a fine? Is Bill finally gone?"

"No, Stanley," Ford began. "It's a rather strange story, actually..,"

Stan folded his arms. "Hey, you spent more than half your life lookin' at strange stuff, fill me in on what happened, eh?" He asked, tilting his head.

Ford nodded slowly. "Well, the plan worked at _first. _We gave Agent- or, _Mr. _Powers the cube, and the LED light trick worked for a bit as well. It was rather convincing, but Bill did most of the talking."

Stan scoffed. "What, did he give ya' away and blow your cover?" He asked, looking at Ford.

Stanford shook his head. "No Stan, nothing like that, actually..," He informed. Stan raised an eyebrow, but listened to Ford. "Without Bill's help, I'm sure we'd be locked up in jail cells for however long our time would take."

"Huh," Stan mused, looking over out the window, then back at his brother. "Who would'a thought?"

_You've got that right._ Ford thought to himself.

Stan grabbed a coffee mug from out of the cupboard. "So, you said it worked at _first, _what happened _then?_"

"Then, after we gave him the cube, Bill and I rushed back to the car and drove off. Unfortunately, Powers must have tried to use the code word when I couldn't hear him, so I couldn't illuminate the light. It was my fault that he found out." Ford explained, then looked down at his feet for a moment. He looked back at Stan and continued. "Powers must have ordered Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland to follow us, because they started following us home in their police car."

Stan snickered. "Those creeps." He muttered with a smirk.

Ford punched his arm in a playful manner and chuckled. "We pulled over even though Bill didn't want to. In fact, he tried to stop me from pulling over in the beginning."

"Why?" Stan asked.

Ford just shrugged. "A heat of the moment action, I suppose."

Stan nodded. "What happened after ya' pulled over?" He asked. He turned to face the kitchen entrance when he heard Dipper scream like some sort of 7 year old girl. His eyes got wide and Ford raised his eyebrows. "What's wrong with him?" He asked.

Ford sighed and took a sip from his coffee that he had poured into his mug during the conversation. "I think I have a pretty good idea..," He admitted.

"Kid?" Stan shouted, walking out of the kitchen and up the stairs to the second floor. He turned his head around the corner once he saw Dipper's bedroom door opened. He peered inside and saw Mabel just waking up- likely from the noise. "Kid, where are ya'?" Stan called out in question.

"Get away from me!" Dipper shrieked. He ran across the hall and turned the corner, nearly crashing into Stan. "Grunkle Stan, where is Ford?" He asked.

Stan rolled his eyes. "Relax, kiddo. He's in the kitchen getting a cup of-"

Dipper shoved past Stan and bolted down the stairs. Stan's back his the wall and he grunted at the immediate stinging pain. "Great uncle Ford?" Dipper called out.

Ford heard his name from in the kitchen and saw his great nephew running down the stairs. "Yes, Dipper? What is it?" He asked, walking up to the kitchen doorframe.

"It's Bill!" He shrieked. "He-He's upstairs a-and he escaped!" Dipper said, looking at Ford with wide eyes.

At that moment, Ford calmed down. "Oh, him?" He asked. Dipper nodded. "Don't worry, Dipper. I've given Bill his own room upstairs. You're not in any danger." He assured, getting down on one knee and putting a hand on Dipper's shoulder.

Dipper tilted his head and his eyes popped. "Are you _kidding? _Why is he up here? Isn't he supposed top be down in the laboratory? Or-or even in your study?"

Ford looked at Dipper with an assuring look. "Dipper, I want you to look into my eyes." He commanded. The boy did as told, and Ford continued. "Bill is different now, and even though he's not _too much _different, we have to treat him like a person. And that starts with giving him his own room. His own space. So he's free to be alone. He will _not _harm you. I won't let him." Ford told him.

Dipper sighed. "I don't know... this seems like a really bad idea." He commented.

"I know it does," Ford admitted. "But trust me to keep you safe. Maybe even try talking to Bill a bit. It might be for the best. Just trust me, Dipper. Please?" He asked.

Dipper exhaled and nodded slowly. "I guess so..." He muttered.

Ford smiled. "Good! Now run along, do whatever it is you like to do in the morning." He said.

Bill came stomping down the stairs, Dipper's old tan star hat that he had wore his first day in Gravity Falls. He looked over at Dipper and glared. "_Really, _Pinetree?" He scolded. "Here's a piece of advice for you," He said, walking up close to the boy. "_Don't __EVER _throw stuff at me. Especially not your disgusting, lice-filled _hats!_" Bill stated, throwing the hat down at Dipper's feet, folding his arms.

Dipper glared back. "Hey, I don't have lice!" He said.

Bill scoffed. "And I should trust that _why?_" He shot back.

Ford rolled his eyes. "That's enough," He muttered, standing up now.

Bill looked at Ford and tilted his head. "Sixer, he threatened me with a _hat! _Don't tell me not to get pissed off at him."

Stanford sighed. "Dipper didn't know, he thought you had escaped."

"_Oh,_" Bill began, narrowing his eyes at the young boy. "So you see me as some sort of _animal, _Pinetree? _Huh?_" He spat.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Why shouldn't I?" He asked.

"Dipper!" Ford warned.

His nephew turned to make eye contact and looked up. "Great uncle Ford, come on! He's starting stuff!"

Bill glared and shook his head, putting his arms out. "Woah, woah, woah, _WOAH!_" He said with a short, sarcastic chuckle. "You started this, Pine tree!" He stated, glaring and pointing at the boy.

"You _scared _me!" Dipper shot back.

The demon rolled his eyes. "Well _pardon me _if my appearance as a functioning member of society frightens you." He said with even more sarcasm.

Ford sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He looked up and saw Mabel walking down the stairs, still in her lilac colored pajama gown._ Perfect. _He thought to himself. He silently hoped that she wouldn't get wrapped into the situation. Unfortunately for him, that wasn't the case.

Mabel rubbed her eyes and looked up at the people near the kitchen entrance. "Bill?" She asked.

Bill nodded. "Hey, Shooting star," He greeted. "Can I ask you something?"

Mabel nodded. "Um, Sure!" She said, putting her hands on her hips. "What is it?"

"Does Pine tree have head lice?" Bill asked.

Mabel opened her mouth to speak for a moment, then raised a finger. "Well, he doesn't anymore." She informed.

Bill turned his head to look at Dipper and gave a small smirk. "You don't _anymore._" He mouthed in a mocking manner. Dipper rolled his eyes.

"Dipper had lice after rolling down all those mountains and in the dirt in the summer after all those adventures." Mabel said. "But Mom and Dad helped him get rid of it before school started." She continued.

Bill nodded and smirked. He turned to look at the boy. "I'm sure _Wendy _wouldn't have liked that. Maybe _that's _why she turned you down!" He said, laughing. Dipper glared down at the floor and blushed slightly at the mention of his past crush. He tipped his hat down and left the room in anger, his left fist clenched. Bill snickered. "Woah, someone's about to throw a temper tantrum!" He mocked, putting his hands on his face.

Ford rolled his eyes. "Bill, please don't mock him like that. Dipper has made it clear that he is over her."

"Right," Bill snickered, putting two fingers by the sides of her heads, making quote-unquote finger motions. "Over her."

Stanford sighed. "Do you want some coffee? There's still some left."

Bill's eyes shot open. "Ooh, _coffee?"_ He asked, practically dashing over to the coffee pot. Ford walked back into the kitchen behind him and pointed to the cupboard. Bill looked up at where he was pointing, and looked at Ford with a confused look.

"There are cups up in the cupboard." He informed.

Bill rolled his eyes and smirked. "I _knew _that." He stated, reaching over towards the cupboard and opening it up. He grabbed a coffee mug with an image of a purple cat on it. He set the mug down on the counter and grabbed the sides of the container. Bill felt a burning, hot feeling in his hands and he exclaimed in fear. "_OW! _What the heck, Sixer?" He asked, folding his arms and looking at the other man.

Ford looked over and identified the situation. He laughed for a moment and shook his head with a sigh. "You don't grab onto the _sides, _Bill. You grab onto the handle." He stated, grabbing the black handle and holding it up. "See?"

Bill scoffed. "Showoff" He muttered, looking away.

Ford chuckled and shook his head. He grabbed the mug and pulled it towards him, pouring the coffee into it. Bill raised his eyebrows and glared. "Wait!" He exclaimed. "I can do it myself!" He stated, trying to grab hold on the handle. Bill swatted Ford's hand away and narrowed his eyes with a smirk. Ford rolled his eyes and watched Bill pour the drink into the mug.

Stan walked back into the kitchen, talking to Ford. "Hey, pointdexter. Ya' got a minute?"

Ford turned his head and nodded. Stan walked over to the two men and smirked. "Congratulations, smart guy. You're teaching a terrorist how to get coffee." He joked, smacking the back of Ford's head. Ford exclaimed in annoyance and held the back of his head, glaring at Stan. Stanley took his other hand and did the same gesture to Bill, except with a force that was clearly less playful.

Bill flinched at the motion, and spilt his coffee all over the counter and his shirt. Bill grunted and narrowed his eyes, wiping off his shirt with his hands. "I'm gonna go take a shower." He muttered, walking out of the kitchen annoyed.

Ford sighed and shook his head at his brother's behavior as he watched Bill leave the kitchen. He turned around and looked at Stan, leaning on the counter. "What was that for, Stanley? Do you need something?" He asked, giving his brother a look.

Stan just shrugged. "Eh, just figured maybe we could talk a bit more today." He stated.

"Explain?" Ford asked.

"Well," Stan started. "You've been spendin' a lot of time with that demon. He's blocking that opportunity because he keeps running around ya'!" He stated, folding his arms.

Ford sighed. "Stan, Bill needs some help. It's not like he's been walking around like us for however old we've gotten over the years." He said with a chuckle. "So I've been helping him out a bit, but wouldn't _you _want help in this sort of situation too?"

"He's _DANGEROUS!_" Stan shot at Ford. "This whole time he's been here, what has he done? Nothing! He's done nothing to prove himself to me that he has changed, so don't go around sayin' he's some sort of innocent person, pointdexter!"

Ford ran a hand through his hair and glared. "Stanley, be considerate!" He tried.

Stan just shook his head. "Why don't you think a bit more? It's what you do best! I don't know _why _you've been so accepting of him recently, but if I'm being dead honest, it's _scaring _me and I don't like it!" He stated, putting his hands on his hips. "He's a terrorist and I don't want him anywhere near the kids! You've lost your mind if you think that demon is gonna' be sleepin' just a few rooms away from them!"

Ford grunted. "Come on, Stan. He's not as bad as he once was! I'm just as cautioned as you are but I have a handle on it! We're getting a fresh start, and if you know what the expression 'clean slate' is, that's what I'm proposing to do. He's... he's _changing, Stanley..,_" He explained, his voice getting quieter and quieter until he was practically muttering.

Stan scoffed and shook his head. "Whatever, Stanford." He concluded, walking out of the kitchen and heading into the living room.

Ford sighed and folded his arms. _I should go downstairs and write down my notes from my dream last night. _He told himself. He walked out of the kitchen right after cleaning up the spilled coffee mess. There was still a good portion of coffee in the mug, so he left it alone on the counter in case Bill was planning on getting back to it.

Soos was walking into the gift shop, and saw Ford enter form the _Employees only _door. He considered greeting the scientist, but was debating against it. To be fair, he had hardly spoken to him since... _ever. _

"Hello, Mr. Ford!" Soos greeted with a wave.

Ford looked over at the handyman and gave a small smile. "Good morning, Soos. How are you?" He asked.

_The author wants to start conversation with ME? _Soos thought to himself. He started mouthing things to himself as if he were having some sort of conversation with another version of him. In Soos's imagination, he saw another version of himself wearing the same outfit, the other Soos's outfit purple rather than blue. _Respond to him! _Soos 2 encouraged. Soos shrugged his shoulders. "But what if I say something I'll regret?" He asked himself. Soos 2 shrugged. _It's worth a shot, dawg! _

Ford looked at the behavior and raised an eyebrow, deeply confused. "Um, Soos? Are you okay?" He asked. Clearly, only Soos could see the other Soos, so to anyone and everyone else, it just looked strange.

Soos looked back at Ford and nodded. "Yes sir!" He responded quickly.

Ford chuckled awkwardly and typed in the combination to the vending machine.

Soos scoffed to Soos 2 and folded his arms. "C'mon dude!" He complained. Soos 2 put his hands on his hips. _It wasn't me, dawg!_ Soos 2 said back, shrugging his shoulders.

Ford was confused at the handyman's actions and was about to leave down to the laboratory when he suddenly heard a loud scream come from upstairs. He froze and put his arms out by his sides in defense. "What was that?" He asked.

Soos shrugged. "It sound like a scream." He informed. Soos 2 face palmed. _He knows that, dude!_

Ford narrowed his eyes, listening for the noise again, when he heard another loud scream. "It's coming from upstairs!" Ford said aloud, mostly to himself.

"Need any help?" Soos asked.

Ford shook his head and pushed on the _Employee's only _door. He figured he should give the handyman a job to avoid being questioned. "Sure, uhm..," He began. "Make sure no one comes in the door!" He said right before dashing out of the gift shop.

Soos nodded his head. "Yes sir!" He said, tightening his hat and squinting his eyes at the door, folding his arms in an attempt to look intimidating.

The yelps were loud and dreadful, and were clearly coming from Bill. Ford rushed out of the living room and up the stairs, looking around on the second floor. He saw no signs of the demon being close by, so he rushed up to the third floor. The sounds were becoming louder and more easy to understand the foul swear words being exclaimed.

Ford rushed up to the third floor and looked around, hearing water running at the other side of the hall. He rushed over and could clearly hear the demon yelling. "God, _AHH!_"

"Bill?" Ford asked from the other side of the door. "Are you okay?"

"What do you think?" Bill shot back, yelling out once more.

Ford sighed and leaned his shoulder on the closed door. "Do you need help?" Bill nodded, even though the man could not see the reaction. Ford didn't hear a verbal response, and he asked once more.

"_Yes, _I need help!" Bill exclaimed. Ford heard a loud thud from the other side of the door, and he quickly became worried. Bill had fallen on his knees in the shower, rubbing his eyes furiously.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and squeezed his eyes together. He sighed and looked up at the ceiling. "Can I come in?" He asked hesitantly.

Bill swore once more and was quick to give a response to the question. "Yes! _Please, _just, _help me!" _He cried, grunting at the stinging pain. Bill was always open to a bit of pain, but this was just plain cruel.

Ford opened the door and quickly walked inside, shutting the door behind him. There was warm steam fogging up the mirror, the steam filling the room. "How hot does he set his water?" He muttered to himself. He folded his arms for a moment. "Bill, what's going on?" He asked. The other man was on the other side of the curtain, and he couldn't understand what was going on without Bill explaining.

"M-my eyes! They're watering like _crazy! _I think I'm going _blind! _I-it hurts _so_ bad!" Bill sputtered.

Ford nodded and extended his arm into the cupboard on the wall, grabbing a wash cloth. "Here, take this!" Ford exclaimed, taking the wash cloth out of the cupboard and throwing it over the shower curtain. Bill tried to look around, but his vision was blurry and he couldn't see well. He felt the cloth land on his head, and he grabbed it, rubbing at his eyes desperately.

Bill stopped yelling for a minute, and Ford became relieved. Not even ten seconds later, Bill began screaming again. Ford jumped at the sudden reaction, and tilted his head in confusion. "Bill, what happened?"

"It only got worse!" Bill informed, laughing sarcastically and squinting his eyes in deep pain. "Agh!" He exclaimed, the sharp pain getting worse rather than better. "Sixer, help!" He shouted. "I don't care what it is, just.. do something!"

Ford ran a hand through his hair and looked up at the ceiling. He sighed and shook his head. Dear _god_. He thought to himself. He shrugged his tan lab coat off his shoulders and was quick to grab another wash cloth, looking up at the ceiling as he opened the shower curtain. He looked at the wall on the rack for something that could help. At this point all he saw that would help was what was already in his hand, so he opted to use the wash cloth.

"Tip your head backwards," Ford commanded. Bill was quick to obey, and he squinted his eyes, groaning at the stinging pain. Ford took Bill's hair and slicked it back, away from his face. He used his other hand to wipe around Bill's face, to get the dripping water and shampoo out of the way. He carefully rubbed the wash cloth on Bill's eyes, careful not to hurt the other. Bill sighed and became a bit more calm now, the stinging pain finally beginning to leave. "So what did you do, get shampoo in your eyes?" Ford asked, turning his head away from the other man.

Bill shrugged. "I think so. If _that's _the shampoo you're talking about." Bill stated, blinking rapidly once Ford pulled the wash cloth away from his eyes. He pointed at the shampoo bottle on the shelf, and Ford nodded.

"Yes, it's never fun to get shampoo in your eyes. It stings like crazy." Ford stated.

Bill just nodded and sighed. "Dam, you got that right. That pain was definitely _not _hilarious." He said, folding his arms. Ford just nodded and was quick to take the wash cloths, putting them into a bin on the other side of the room to be washed later. Without saying another word, he walked over and reached for the doorknob. "Sixer, wait." Bill asked, looking over at the other man.

"Yes?" Ford asked, looking at the door rather than looking back at Bill. The situation was awkward enough, and Ford just wanted to get out of the room.

"Uhm..," Bill muttered. "Thanks."

Ford nodded and looked up at the ceiling, sighing. "No problem." He muttered back, grabbing his coat from off of the bathroom floor. Ford quickly opened the door and rushed out, closing the door behind him. He sighed and put his lab coat back on, folding his arms and walking down the hall. Eventually, he went back to the gift shop to go downstairs. Soos was still standing there, ready for almost anything.

Ford noticed the behavior and remembered what he had told Soos to do. "Uhh, false alarm, Soos." He said, scratching the back of his neck. Soos gave no response, and Ford noticed he was hardly moving. "Soos?" He asked.

Soos jumped and turned around. "Oh, Sorry Mr. Ford, I was just thinking." He said.

Ford just nodded, understanding. He turned to the vending machine, typing in the combination and heading downstairs.

* * *

"Kids!" Stan called from across the house. He heard faint responses from upstairs, and the twins came running down the stairs. "There's a letter from your parents that the mailman dropped off."

Dipper and Mabel pushed passed each other as they ran down the stairs. Dipper tripped on the stairs and hit his head on the floor. Mabel snickered in a mocking manner and looked over at Stan. "Ooh, are they coming to Gravity Falls to join us for Thanksgiving?" She asked, hopefully. Her eyes got big and she clenched her fists in excitement.

"Uhm," Stan muttered, opening up the letter. "Well, let's see," He said. Dipper stood up beside his sister and the twins nodded in unison, ready for the news. "Dear Stan and the kids," He began, clearing his throat.

Mabel beamed in excitement. "I'm so excited!" She exclaimed happily.

"Uh.., hold on there, pumpkin," Stan stated. Mabel stopped jumping in place and stayed still, tilting her head at the request. Stan looked down at the letter and continued to read. "We are sorry about the last minute change of plans. Your father and I have decided to keep you here in California for Thanksgiving rather than in Gravity Falls." Stan read, his voice lowering until it became more of a mutter. He folded the letter and sighed, holding it in his hand. "Aw, geez." He said, putting a hand on his forehead.

Mabel's bottom lip quivered slightly and Dipper just stared in disbelief with his mouth wide open. "Are they serious? Mom and Dad want us back in California?" He asked, putting his hands on the sides of his head in disbelief.

"Surely there's _something _you can do, Grunkle Stan! Can't you?" Mabel asked, hopefully. A small tear swelled up at the corner of her eyes.

Stan felt his heart shatter at his niece's reaction. "Sorry, kiddo," He said, putting his hands on his hips and looking down at the ground, releasing a sigh. "They're _your _parent's, and as far as they're concerned, I don't have much control on the situation."

Mabel shook her head in disbelief, and Soos walked into the room. "Hey, you dawgs okay?"

"Soos!" Mabel exclaimed, running up to the handyman and giving him a large hug. "Mom and Dad want Dipper and I to go back to California tomorrow." She said, a tear falling down her cheek.

"No way!" Soos exclaimed in remorse. He got down on one knee and repeated Mabel's action. "Now I feel terrible for being so spacious recently. Would it make you kids feel better if we went to go play laser tag?" He asked, looking at Dipper.

Dipper nodded eagerly and Stan raised a finger. "Wait, wait. This sounds like something your parents would want you doing on the same day you have to go home..," Stan said, putting his hands on his hips. Mabel turned around and looked at Stan, disappointed. "Heh! Serves them right for takin' you away so unexpected." Stan said with a grin on his face.

Mabel smiled and nodded, wiping tears from her eyes with her sleeve. Dipper smiled and folded his arms. "Thanks, Grunkle Stan!" He said.

Stan nodded and smirked. "Hey, be back by 2:00." Stan commanded, pointing at the kids and looking at Soos. Soos nodded at the instruction given to him.

Dipper ran up to the front door and opened it wide, giving room for Mabel and Soos to leave the house. "Bye, Stan." He said with a smile.

Stan waved back and grinned. "Hey, have some fun on your last day, kiddo." He said. Dipper nodded and smiled, closing the door. Soos took his keys from out of his pocket and looked for the correct key. The twins both ran up to the car.

"Shotgun!" Dipper exclaimed, running up to the passenger seat.

Mabel groaned. "Dipper, you took the front seat last time!" She complained.

Soos shrugged his shoulders. "Mabel, you can take the front seat on the way back if you want." He offered. Mabel just shrugged and nodded.

"Well, okay." Mabel said, walking over to the back seat in the truck. She opened the back door and noticed a brown paper bag open on one of the seats. She made her way into the vehicle and shut the back door. Mabel looked to her right and took hold of her seatbelt, tugging on it gently and bringing it over to the buckle beside her. Her arm bumped the bag with more force than one would think, and the bag fell over near her buckle. "Huh..?" She questioned, looking at a few objects that had fallen out.

"You dudes ready to go?" Soos asked, closing the door to the truck and starting the car.

Mabel nodded slowly. "Uh, Soos?" She asked. Soos answered the girl, and Mabel raised an eyebrow. "What's a baby rattle doing in a random bag back here?"

Soos's eyes widened for a moment, and he turned around to the back seat. "Oh, those?" He asked, chuckling suspiciously. "I was just...picking up supplies." He answered, quickly drawing his eyes back to the windshield of the car. Dipper noticed the reaction and questioned it as well, as he buckled his seatbelt.

"Supplies for _what?_" Mabel asked, deeply confused by the answer. It wasn't really her business, but that wouldn't stop her curiosity.

Soos cleared his throat and chuckled once more. "I-It's for someone I know." He said, his voice turning into a mutter.

"Is someone you know having a baby?" Dipper asked, now curious at the sound of the conversation as well.

Soos just nodded his head. He put his hands on the wheel and adjusted his hat before backing the car out of the parking position. "Well, yes." He said, saying nothing more. Dipper turned around to look at Mabel and the girl just shrugged.

Moments later, they were on the road. Soos had put on the radio station playing the top songs of the week. Straight Blanchin wasn't on the radio as much anymore, but it was still a personal summer favorite of his.

* * *

Stanford was down in the laboratory, sitting down by his office chair that had been left in the middle of the room, likely by Bill. He wrote some notes down on his clipboard, and tapped his pen on the clipboard in thought. He had nearly completely forgotten about a research project he had written about when he was younger and less vigilant. Back when he was younger, he had been studying _Mindscape Illusions, _a study that he had begun to forget about over the years. More recently, he had been studying types of topics related to Bill's situation.

Ford had hit a bit of a roadblock in his research due to lack of crucial information. He sighed and face palmed for a moment, trying to refresh his brain of possible facts he was missing.

He heard someone coming down the elevator, and he put his hands on his clipboard as he watched the door open. Bill had come out of the elevator with an oversized grey sweater on his torso, and a pair of loose black basketball shorts on his legs. Ford looked at Bill and gave a small wave. "Hello, Bill." He greeted, looking down at his clipboard once more.

Bill greeted the other man back and walked over towards him. "Whatcha' writing?" He asked, curiously.

Ford shrugged. "Nothing more than I've been doing all week." He stated.

Bill nodded. "What have you been doing all week?" He asked once more. Ford sighed and shook his head.

"Just trying to find out more about your human form." Ford informed.

Bill folded his arms. "Find out what about me, exactly?"

"How to fix y-" Ford started and was stopped when he saw Bill's sarcastic glare.

Bill scoffed sarcastically and hit the back of Stanford's head in a half-jokingly manner. "Aw, come on sixer!" He groaned. "I don't think you're trying to _fix _me." He stated.

_Stanford's vision went blurry for a moment, and he looked back over at Bill. He felt a bit strange, but he figured it was just old age getting the best of him. The demon rolled his eyes and gave a small smile. "I feel like you're just trying to stop me from 'taking over the world' again." Bill stated._

_Ford shook his head. "No Bill, that's not-" He tried. _

_Bill smirked. "Oh, but it is." He responded back. He put his hands on both sides of the chair, wrapping his fingers around the arm rests. "If it wasn't, you would be more willing to trust me." He said. Bill was unusually close to Ford, which Ford questioned slightly. Ford just cleared his throat and looked at Bill._

_"I'm... working on the whole 'trusting' thing," Ford stated. "You have changed, I see that now, but I just don't know how much you've changed. Emotionally and powerfully." _

_Bill smirked. "Well aren't you just a confused Fordsy?" He mused, putting a hand on Ford's cheek. "You know what'll make you more confused?" He asked. _

_Ford raised an eyebrow, and moved his head backwards a bit in order to keep the situation from being awkward. "Wh?-" He began to ask, but was stopped by the unfamiliar contact given by the other. Bill pulled Ford's face up closer to his and leaned closer to him, locking their lips together in a kiss._

_Ford's eyes widened at the contact that begun so suddenly and lasted for what felt like forever. Ford was a bit alarmed by the situation, however he certainly wasn't apposed to it at the moment. Is this real? He asked himself. Is any of this real? Ford assumed he was asleep, and he tried pinching his arm to check. Seeing that he wasn't waking up, and noticing the small sting of pain in his arm made it clear to him that what was happening was real. That it wasn't just wishful thinking. _

Bill took his hand away after hitting Ford's head, sighing. "Honestly, Sixer. Do you _really _think I-" He began, but stopped in his sentence when he noticed Ford's face was resting on the side of the chair, his eyes closed. Had he fallen asleep? Bill wasn't sure. "Uhh, Sixer?" Bill asked, looking at the other man. Ford gave no response, and Bill scoffed. "Come on Sixer. Not funny." He stated.

Ford still gave no response, and Bill began to silently panic. "Sixer?" He asked.

Nothing.

"Come on, Sixer! Enough games!" Bill spat in a panic.

Still _nothing. _

Bill bit his lip and his fists clenched. He grabbed Ford's arm and checked for a pulse. The other man still had a pulse, and it was clear that he was breathing. Bill looked at Ford once more and poked his cheek. "Sixer?" He asked once more, feeling that there was no point in calling for the other. "Ford?" He asked, poking Stanford's face once more. Ford flinched slightly at the contact, and continued to keep his eyes closed.

Bill folded his arms. _He must have fallen asleep. _He thought to himself. Bill looked around the room and noticed a bag of jellybeans sitting on the desk. _I'll stay down here for a bit, but I'm confident nothing is wrong, there isn't much of a point. _He told himself. Bill took the bag of jellybeans and leaned on the desk, digging into the bag.

* * *

"This is gonna be great!" Mabel exclaimed once they got to the laser tag building. the twins walked to the door eagerly as Soos turned off the car. Mabel turned around to look at Soos, seeing him putting a few items back in their bags. she raised an eyebrow and called for the handyman. "Soos, are you coming?" she asked him, and Soos quickly agreed, heading towards the door as well.

The three looked over at the glass door in suspense. There was a sign on the door- a sign that didn't mean good news for their afternoon plans. Soos read the sign aloud in more of a mutter. "Come back another time, we are closed for... _reconstruction_?" He read, question in his voice towards the end. He gasped at the information. "What?" he exclaimed. "Out of all the days!" Soos said, shaking his head.

Dipper folded his arms and sighed. "Well, I'm sure we could try again when summer rolls around." He said, shrugging.

"Yeah," Mabel agreed hesitantly. Soos and Dipper were both able to hear the slight dissappointment in her voice. "I mean, I'm sure the building will be repaired by next year, and-" Mabel said, but stopped when Soos put a finger over her mouth.

"Don't talk like that, Mabel dawg!" Soos exclaimed, putting an arm around both twins shoulders. "We're gonna make these last few hours worth it!" He said with a smile. The twins gave smiles and nodded. Soos looked at the twins and shrugged his shoulders. "So what do you dudes want to do for the next couple hours?" He asked.

The twins shrugged and looking at eachother with small smirks. They looked back at Soos and in unison blurted out, "Pizza?"

Soos eagerly agreed. "Dudes, you just read my mind!" He exclaimed, and Mabel snickered.

"Consider it my superpower!" She joked as the three headed towards the car.

Once everyone was in the car, Soos chuckled. "Good thing there's a parlor just a couple blocks away from here, it's the second best parlor in town!" He stated, sharing his opinion.

Mabel buckled her seatbelt and raised an eyebrow. "What's the best one?" She asked curiously.

"Remember Hoo-ha Owl's pizzamatronic jamboree?" Soos asked, and Mabel nodded. "Well, that used to be my favorite pizza place, but then I started feeling scared of going back after Melody and my first date. New fact about Soos, anamatronics are freaky, dudes!" He exclaimed as he started the car.

"Oh yeah," Dipper began. "How's Melody been doing?" He asked, looking at Soos.

The handyman clenched the wheel with a rather firm grasp at the question. He looked behind him for a moment as he backed out of the parking lot. "She's uh... she's good!" Soos assured with an awkward chuckle. Dipper nodded and turned to look out his window.

Mabel looked around as they drove and pointed to the parlor they were looking for. "There! It's over there, Soos!" She exclaimed, excited. Soos chuckled at the reaction and turned to the correct road.

Once Soos had pulled into a parking space, Mabel was the first to unbuckle and literally jump out of the car. Dipper was quick to exit the vehicle as well, and the three walked over to the door.

Soos opened the door and snickered. "Ladies first!" He addressed to both Mabel _and _Dipper. The boy gave a strange look at the name he had been given that made Soos laugh.

The parlor was rather small with walls made of birch that had a bit darker of an appearance with the low lighting. There were small round white tables around the enterance of the parlor, with brown, wooden tables down on the far right. The three were looking around for a table in the building when a man who worked at the parlor stopped them, putting a hand out.

"I'm sorry you three, but we have a full house right now." The worker informed.

Dipper sighed at the news and Soos folded his arms. "Aw man," He muttered. "Look dawg, It's these kids last day in town until, like, next summer. Are you _sure _there are no other tables?" He asked, hopeful.

The worker sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry, sir. You'll just have to come back later." He stated, folding his arms.

Soos sighed and shrugged. "Sorry dudes, I guess we have to go back home. Mr. Pines would want you back soon." He said in defeat.

Without saying much, the three walked out the door, heading to the car. Soos held the door for the twins once more, and the kids thanked him for the action. Before Soos could catch up to the twins and make it to his car, Tad Strange called out his name. "Hey, Soos!" He called out.

The handyman turned around and waved. "Oh, hey Tad!" He greeted cheerfully. He hadn't seen Tad in a few months, so it was nice to see him again.

"I just wanted to tell you congratulations!" Tad said to him with a grin.

Soos's eyes widened for a moment and he looked behind him to see if the twins were listening in. Luckily, the kids were getting into the car and laughing in unison at each others jokes. Soos looked back at Tad and gave an awkward smile, scratching the back of his neck. "Oh uhm, t-thanks, Tad..!" He said back.

Tad smiled and waved as he walked across the parking lot. "See you around, Soos!" He said, looking away as he crossed the street.

Soos put his hands on his hips and shook his head with a smile. "What an ordinary guy!" He said, mostly to himself. Dipper just stood there confused. _congratulations?_ He thought to himself. It turned out, Dipper really _had _heard what had happened. Well, part of it, at least. He figured that since he didn't really catch the conversation that it was probably nothing to be worried about.

Soos, Mabel, and Dipper all got into the car, Mabel up in the front seat this time. The handyman turned himself to look at both the kids. "Hey, look dudes, I'm sorry this whole thing didn't work out how I thought it would. Maybe when we get back to the shack we could do something before it's time to go." He thought, shrugging his shoulders.

"It's not your fault, Soos," Mabel stated. "And even though we didn't do what we had planned, at least we got to spend the rest of our time here with you!" She said with a smile. Dipper nodded in agreement and gave a grin as well.

Soos nodded his head and began to start the car. Dipper rolled down his window and heard a man yelling Soos's name. He raised an eyebrow and alerted the handyman. "Uh... Soos?" He warned.

"What's up, dawg?" He asked as he began to pull out of the driveway.

Dipper looked at the man. He recognized him from somewhere... but where..?

Of _course! _

The answer came to Dipper. The man yelling for Soos was none other thran his cousin Reggie. He had recognized the man from the time he and Mabel went with Soos to the mall in attempt to find a girlfriend. Dipper saw Reggie waving a wrapped box in the air, calling for Soos.

Soos noticed the behavior once Dipper had pointed it out, and rolled down his window. _Oh no... _Soos thought to himself when he saw the gift. _Aw man, Reggie doesn't really have the best timing. This is bad..._ Soos thought, a shiver going up his spine in fear.

"Soos, hey Soos!" Reggie called, running across the parking lot over to the vehicle the handyman was in.

Soos bit his lip and adjusted the hat on his head. Pushing aside his fear, he gave a small smile. "Oh, h-hey Reggie!" He said, looking at the other.

"Hey, I got you something!" Reggie said, smirking. "It's pretty awesome, if you ask me." He stated, folding his arms and grinning.

Soos chuckled quietly. "Um, thank you Reggie!" He blurted out sheepishly.

Reggie winked and leaned on the car, looking at Soos. "Hey, no problem bro!" He said, and leaned in closer, lowing his tone slightly. "You'll make a great dad." He said. Soos cringed at the choice of words, and he noticed the silence in the car, not daring to turn around.

Moment's later, a female voice called for the handyman's cousin. "Reggie! _Reggie! _Hurry up, we're going to be late to our yoga lesson!" His wife exclaimed in minor annoyance.

Reggie turned around for a moment. "Coming, sugar!" He said. He turned back to look at Soos and gave him a pat on the back. "See ya' around, Soos!" He said with a grin before leaving.

Soos chuckled awkwardly and waved goodbye to his cousin. He turned slowly to face the steering wheel, staring at it for a moment. Mabel cupped her hands together and Dipper folded his arms. "Soos?" Mabel asked in a quiet tone.

The handyman looked at Mabel. "Yeah?" He answered.

"Why did your cousin Reggie give you a gift?" She asked.

Soos shrugged slightly, "Well-" He tried, but was interrupted by Dipper.

"Yeah, and how come Tad told you 'congratulations'?" Dipper asked, confused.

Soos bit his lip. "You heard that?" He asked, worried, and Dipper nodded. "Oh, well-" He tried once more.

Mabel cut in and added yet another question to the conversation. "And how come Reggie said that you would be a good dad?" She asked. The twins were about to ask more questions, but stopped when Soos exclaimed in annoyance.

"Because Melody's _pregnant, _okay?" Soos shot at the twins. He was quick to notice his tone of voice, and he put his hands on his mouth. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to shout." He said, looking down at the floor of the car and sighing.

The vehicle was quiet for a moment. Dipper's eyes were big like saucers and Mabel;s mouth hung open. "Wait... _what?_" Mabel asked.

Soos took off his hat and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you before, dudes. I just..," He started, "I just didn't know if now was the right time to tell the people I see every day. I mean, It's one thing to tell a few close people, but you two and Mr. Pines? I just didn't know if I wanted to address something like that yet, I just didn't know how I would feel about it." Soos stated.

Dipper raised an eyebrow slightly. "Well, how _do _you feel?" He asked.

Soos just shrugged. "I feel kinda bad for shouting at you dudes, but it feels better knowing that the entire topic doesn't have to be closeted." He said. Dipper nodded, understanding. "I'm _really _freaking out about the whole thing..." Soos admitted, sighing.

Mabel reached over and put a hand on Soos's shoulder. "Why?" She asked in a rather calming voice.

"It's all going so fast," Soos started. "I never really _had_ a dad growing up, how am I supposed to know how to become one?" He asked, putting his hat back on his head.

Dipper nodded. "Listen man, you're awesome!" He encouraged.

Mabel agreed with her brother. "Yeah! You never had a dad growing up, and deep down that hurt you!" She stated, looking at Soos. The handyman nodded slowly, and looked at the girl. "You need to make sure you're there for your child, do the job that _your _dad never did!" She said with a smile, hoping her words were encouraging. It seemed to be working when she noticed Soos's facial expressions beginning to light up a bit.

Dipper smiled. "Reggie is right Soos. You _will _make a good dad!" He said.

"Not a good dad, a _great _dad! The _best _dad!" Mabel exclaimed, putting her arms up above her head and waving them around.

Soos chuckled at the reaction and smiled. "I'll take you two back to the shack." He stated, and the twins nodded, Dipper buckling his seat belt that he had forgotten to buckle.

* * *

Stan was digging through a cardboard box in the gift shop, wearing his normal work uniform, when the twins and Soos walked into the room. He looked up as he took a couple snow globes out of their boxes. He looked at the twins and smirked. "Hey, how'd it go?" He asked.

Mabel and Dipper looked at each other, then at Stan. "Interesting." They both said in unison, smiling.

Stan raised an eyebrow at the strange reaction, but shrugged his shoulders as he put up a few Mystery Shack Christmas snow globes up on a shelf. Dipper folded his arms and tilted his head. "Grunkle Stan, why are you putting snow globes up? It's not even Thanksgiving yet." He stated.

Stanley turned around and put his hands on his hips. "Thanksgiving is tomorrow, kiddo. That means we're not gonna get a lot of customers, which means I can start gettin' these Christmas souvenirs up quicker! Christmas only comes one day a year, ya' know." Stan reminded, grabbing his cane and gently poking Dipper in the stomach with the 8-Ball side. "So I might as well make as much money as I can off it." Dipper took a step back from Stan and rolled his eyes. _Typical Stan. _He thought to himself.

Stan turned to face the kids and scratched the back of his neck. "Oh yeah, uhh… you kids might wanna' say your goodbyes and get your stuff before you leave." He said with a sigh.

Dipper sighed. "Aw man, I never got to say goodbye to Wendy-" He said, but was interrupted by the sound of someone coming down from up on the roof.

"What about me?" Wendy asked, a smile on her face.

Dipper's mouth hung open. "You were up there?" He asked. Wendy nodded and snickered. "Oh, well... we have to leave Gravity Falls and go back to California soon. So I guess this is goodbye." He said.

Wendy shrugged. "Hey, I'll see you and Mabel again soon, don't stress it!" She said, tipping Dipper's hat. "Sorry I wasn't around much recently, Robbie and Tambry have been having _major _relationship problems." She informed.

Dipper nodded. "We're gonna miss you." He said, looking at Mabel. His sister nodded in agreement.

"I'll miss you both too, but hey! Maybe you'll be able to make it for Christmas break?" She said, hopefully.

Dipper shrugged. "Maybe." He muttered. In reality, he already knew that Mabel and him wouldn't be able to make it for Christmas. Their parents wouldn't allow it, he was sure of that.

"Goodbye Grunkle Stan," Mabel said, hugging Stan's torso. "We're going to miss you."

Stan chuckled and returned the gesture. "I'll miss you too, kiddo." He said with a small smile. "You should probably go say goodbye to Ford. If he gets in one of his moods about you entering the basement without him knowing, make sure he knows that I sent you down." He said, folding his arms.

The twins nodded and made their way to the vending machine. Dipper was quick to type in the combination, and they walked down the stairs quickly, running down towards the elevator. Mabel rushed down the stairs past Dipper to press the elevator button first. Dipper nearly tripped on the last step, and Mabel gave a mocking laugh. The twins got into the elevator and went downstairs to Ford's laboratory.

Dipper looked over at Mabel and sighed. "Mabel, do you think Mom and Dad will let us stay here in Gravity Falls for Christmas?" He asked, curiously.

Mabel just shrugged. "They might let us stay for a bit over break, but you know how important Christmas is to them. There's no way they would let us be here on Christmas without them."

The elevator opened, and the twins spotted Ford in the middle of the room in his chair, sitting down. From the distance, they couldn't tell if he was awake or not. Dipper and Mabel noticed Bill and Mabel was the only one who bothered to greet him. "Hey Bill!" She said, walking up to the demon. Bill had eaten half of the jelly beans out of the plastic bag, and he waved to the girl as he shoved a few more into his mouth.

"Huy, shurtng str!" He said. Mabel snickered at the action and looked over at her brother to see him confused.

Dipper was looking at Ford. "He's asleep, Mabel." He informed.

Mabel shrugged. "Just wake him up! It's our last day, he'll understand why we woke him up." She said.

The boy nodded and reached his arm out to touch Ford's shoulder. "Great Uncle Ford?" He tried. He got no response from Ford and Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Uncle Ford?" He tried again, rubbing his shoulder again. Stanford didn't move and Dipper turned to look at Mabel. "He's not waking up." He informed.

"Here, let me try." Mabel volunteered. Dipper took a step back and Mabel skipped over to the older man.

Bill bit his lip and frowned. _Crap. _He thought to himself. _They're gonna think it was me! _Bill popped a couple more jelly beans into his mouth and sighed. _Was _it me? He asked himself. _No, it couldn't have been. _

Mabel grabbed Ford's wrists and moved them around, side to side as if he were a zombie. "Arrrrh!" Mabel joked, making zombie sounds. Ford gave no reaction, and Mabel raised an eyebrow. "Heh, um... Grunkle Ford?" She called out.

No response.

Mabel cupped her hands on Ford's face and looked into his closed eyes. "Grunkle Ford, wake up!" She commanded. Ford made no movements, and Mabel was quick to check for a heartbeat. Thankfully, she could easily tell that he was very much alive. Just... asleep?

Dipper folded his arms. "I don't get it... why isn't he waking up?" He asked. "Unless..,"

Bill leaned against the desk in alarm, stressfully shoving another jellybean into his mouth. The jellybean went too far at the back of his mouth, and was trying to slide down his throat. He coughed horribly and slammed his fist down on the desk, coughing as he punched his own stomach.

"It was _Bill!_" Dipper exclaimed. "He did something to Ford!"

The jellybean finally gave up and slipped out of his mouth, falling onto the floor. Bill looked at Dipper and raised an eyebrow? "_What?_" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips. "You can't just blame stuff on me, kid!" He scolded.

"What did you do to our uncle?" Dipper asked through clenched teeth.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Relax, pine tree. I'm sure he's fine-" Bill tried, but was interrupted by the boy.

Dipper shook his head. "You did something to him, didn't you?" Dipper asked, folding his arms.

Because the world _loves _Bill Cipher, of _course _Stanley and Soos had to come downstairs. Bill looked at the elevator with his eyes widened. _Perfect. Just perfect! _Bill thought to himself.

"Hey kids, you ready to go home?" Stanley asked the twins.

Dipper shook his head and ran up to Stan. "Grunkle Stan, Bill did something to Ford!" He exclaimed, putting clenched fists onto his hat.

Stan raised an eyebrow, and Dipper pointed to Ford in the chair. Stan rolled his eyes and walked over to his brother to check on him. Stan looked at Dipper in annoyance. "Kid, he's _asleep._" Stan stated, folding his arms.

"Try waking him up!" Dipper shrieked. "He's breathing but he _won't wake up!_"

Stan sighed and grabbed Ford's shoulders, shaking him. "Pointdexter?" He called out.

_Nothing. _

"Come on Sixer. The kid's are leaving soon. Get off your lazy-" Stan began, but stopped himself when he remembered the twins were in the room.

Dipper put his hands out. "SEE? Bill did something to him!" Dipper exclaimed.

"Bill..." Stan muttered. Stan remembered how Ford had told him about starting fresh with Bill. Maybe Bill had used that opportunity to stab him in the back. Stan turned around and glared, stomping over to Bill and grabbing him by his sweater's collar. He lifted the demon off the ground and carried him sideways a bit to the wall.

Bill cried out in annoyance. "Oh, come _on! _Are you Pines gonna start blaming _everything _on me now?" He asked.

Stan glared at the demon and threw him up against the wall, keeping his fists clutched in the demon's sweater. "What did you do to him?" Stan shouted. "What did you do to my brother?" He asked with more force. Bill tried to form words, but couldn't find any that would come out of his mouth. Stan grunted and hit his back against the wall. "I knew my brother was an idiot for trusting you!" Stan exclaimed. "I'd kill you if my brother didn't care so much about you!" He stated.

Bill groaned in pain. "Relax Stanley! For once this _isn't _my fault! I don't know _why _he won't wake up. And believe it or not, if he was in obvious danger, I wouldn't just sit around! I would _do something!_" Bill exclaimed.

Stan scoffed. "Since when do you give a sh- about my brother?" He asked.

Mabel gasped at the language and Soos was quick to cover the girl's ears to save her from the foul language. Stan continued to be violent against the demon, and Mabel stepped forward. "Grunkle Stan, stop it!" She shouted to the older man, running up to him and pulling on his arms.

"Mabel, what are you doing?" Stan asked, keeping his grip on the demon.

Mabel folded her arms and a couple tears formed in her eyes. "Maybe Bill _didn't _do anything! There's no proof that he did it!"

"He's dangerous!" Stan argued. "Come _on, _Mabel! Do you honestly trust _BILL?_" He asked the girl.

Mabel shrugged slightly. "But Grunkle Stan, Maybe Grunkle Ford is just in deep sleep!" She thought. Stan looked down at Mabel and saw a tear rolling down her cheek. He frowned at the state of his niece and glared at Bill, scoffing at him and taking him away from his grasp.

Stan folded his arms and looked at Mabel. "Mabel, if he was in a regular slumber, Ford would have woken up by now." He stated.

"He-He'll wake up!" Mabel protested. "I'll go wake him up, I'll go do it now!" She cried, a tear strolling down her cheek.

Bill bit his lip and sighed. _This isn't good... I'm all knowing, dammit! I should know what's wrong with him. Why don't I know what's wrong with him? _

Mabel ran up to Ford and grabbed his wrists, shaking them madly. "Grunkle Ford, wake up! wake up, Grunkle Ford! _Grunkle Ford!?" _She exclaimed, tears falling down her face. "Wake up Ford, _please!_" She cried, not bothering to hold back her emotional state.

Ford gave a small facial expression of confusion, his eyes still closed. His mouth opened slightly and he let out a sigh. Mabel nodded her head. "Yeah! Wake up! Come on, come on!" She encouraged, clenching his wrists in her hands. Stanford gave no signs of waking up. "Grunkle Ford... please wake up..!" She pleaded, letting do of his wrists.

She became extremely emotional at the state of her uncle. She jumped up onto the chair, her knees balancing on the man's legs. She wrapped her arms around Ford and dug her face into his shoulder, crying. "Please..," She sobbed. "Please be okay, Grunkle Ford. _Please._" Mabel pleaded. She took a deep breath and sighed, sobbing. "Goodbye..." She said, biting her lip and getting off the man. She put the arms of her sweater in front of her eyes in an attempt to hide her face.

"Kids," said Stan, "Go upstairs." He commanded. "Soos will drive you to the bus stop."

Soos nodded at the order, and Dipper folded his arms. "But Grunkle Stan," Dipper argued. "We need to make sure Ford is okay, and-"

Stan shook his head and pointed a finger at the elevator, shutting his eyes so that the kids didn't see him getting emotional as well. "_GO!_" Stan hollered, turning around.

Soos pushes his arm forward in attempt to guide the kids to the elevator in a quick pace as he gave Stan a concerned look. Mabel walked to the elevator and looked at Bill with tears in her eyes. "Bill, I thought you were a changed person..!" She stated before running towards the elevator, crying more now.

Bill felt his head _sting _at the way Mabel had looked at him through the tears in her eyes. "Mabel, It wasn't me! Out of everyone, you understand! Right? R-Right?" He asked, putting an arm out in loss as the twins and Soos went up the elevator. He glared and shook his head. "Alright, that's it!" He yelled through clenched teeth. "_Sixer!" _He cried out, running over to the other man. He grasped Ford's shoulders, shaking them madly. "Sixer, _wake up!_" He hollered. "Wake up you _old man! _Wake up _now! _I've had enough of your dumb science-experiment, wake the _hell _up!" Bill shouted, shaking Ford's shoulders madly, the other man's head shifting around, his glasses nearly fallen off his face.

Stan looked at the way Bill was shaking his brother. "Hey, cut it out!" He shouted. "You're gonna hurt 'im!" He stated, walking over to the demon.

Bill glared at Stan. "You got another idea?" He shot back. "As far as I'm concerned, Mabel and Stanford are the_ only _people who _actually _care about me. The kid is leaving for who-the-hell-knows how long, and I _won't _let Ford leave too!"

"_Oh, _don't act like you care about him!" Stan stated, folding his arms. "The only reason you want my brother to wake up is so that you can get out of your dumb form and get back to normal!"

Bill grunted and stood up, his fists clenched. "That's not the only reason!" He shot back. "But I wouldn't expect an old man like _you _to understand that!" He stated.

Stan put his hands on his hips and glared. "Try me!" He stated. "Face it, Bill. You don't _actually _care about my brother! Prove me wrong." He challenged.

Bill clenched his fists to the point where his finger nails were digging into his palm's flesh. "You don't know anything." He hissed. His palms ignited in blue flame, and Stan jumped back in horror.

"How are you-" Stan asked. "You have _magic?_"

"That's right!" Bill said, his ordinary, echo-ey voice taking over. The echo ringed in Stan's head and he looked at the demon in alarm as his eyes shined bright yellow. Bill walked over to Stan, his black slit pupils looking into his ordinary ones. "Don't try and tell me that I don't care about your brother," He started. "Did you think it was easy for me?" He asked, glaring at Stan as the old man's back was up against a wall.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Huh?" He blurted out.

Bill glared. "All those years. All of those lonely, obnoxious, boring, immortal years," Bill continued. "Did you think it was easy just... _hanging around _for millions of years? Bored? Alone?" He asked Stan.

Stan looked at Bill. "It took me 30 years to get my brother back." He tried.

"And it took me 30 thousand years of _waiting _to find someone like your brother." Bill stated. "Sure, I've had some old 'pals' who I've betrayed in the past. But don't think that it didn't hurt when I betrayed Ford to take over the universe. Stanford was- and is -different. He's caring and loving, but he's also _smart. _Smarter than the other idiots I had betrayed in the past. I knew that someone like Ford could _help _me finally enjoy living my immortal life by taking over the world. He wasn't just my ticket out of _boredomville_, because I _did _care about him. But I knew that if I hesitated, I might not have found someone as smart as him for another thousand years." Bill said.

Stan folded his arms. "So... you're sayin' that you saw him as someone you would be friends with, but you knew that you needed to use his brain to finally be happy?"

Bill nodded. "I didn't just _want _to, I _had _to. You may be old, but you're not nearly as old as me. You don't understand how difficult it was to see a toddler and _not _turn it's lollipop into a cactus. To hear a demonic summoning of another demon and _not_ spoil the other's cue."

Stanley sighed. "So you_ really_ care about my brother, huh?" He asked.

Bill nodded slowly and sighed, the fire in his palms distinguishing and the glow in his eyes fading. "I need him back. He's trying to start fresh with me and, I _want _a friendship." He stated.

Stan nodded and glared at the floor. "Well you're the all knowing demon in the room, there's gotta be _somethin' _you taught my brother that may have been done. Dig through the file cabinets and find an answer to Stanford's problem if you plan on redeeming yourself in my eyes." He said, walking away towards the elevator.

Bill watched the man leave, surprised Stan didn't deny his story. He folded his arms and sighed, looking over at the file cabinets. _Gotta start somewhere._ He thought to himself.

** Much confusion! A lot of cliffhangers! Anyone got theories? 0-0 **

**Thank you for 2,000 visits on this story! (Also, I changed the cover art back to the original until I make a new cover :3)**


	23. Dreamscape Illusions

**For anyone who is confused- The dreamscape _is _the mindscape as far as I know of.**

**Here is chapter 26!**

Stan walked up and out of the basement, looking around the gift shop frantically. "Kids?" He called out. "Soos?"

He heard no response and was quick to head out the door. He looked around outside and noticed Soos's car running, about to leave the parking lot. He ran off the gift shop's porch and waved his hand above his head. "Wait, _wait!_" He called out to Soos. The handyman didn't notice Stan and began to pull out of the parking lot. Dipper took off his hat and looked at the design on the front. He sighed, trying to forget that the uncle that he hadn't even known for a year could potentially be dying before his eyes. It was near impossible to forget such a heartbreaking thing.

Mabel was very upset as well. She had her face buried in her arm that was resting on the window as she peeked out the glass. She looked around at all the trees, all the grass, all the logs. She felt like an idiot- trusting Bill so easily. She thought at first maybe he wouldn't have done such a thing, however she had no evidence to prove his innocence in the situation. She wanted to kick herself for hardly doing _anything _but cry.

She looked out the window and bit her lip, her sadness not going away. She looked over by the gift shop porch when Soos turned the car around, and noticed Stan running up towards the car. Her eyes widened and she popped her head up. "Soos! Wait!" She exclaimed.

"What's wrong, girl dawg?" Soos asked. He pressed down on the brakes and looked at Mabel. The girl pointed at the window, out to the porch. Soos looked over at the porch and noticed Stan rushing over to the car. "Oh!" He noticed, and backed the car up.

Stan sighed in relief and ran up to the truck, grasping the passenger seat's handle and literally _jumping _into the car. During the stunt he managed to smack his head on the outside of the car roof. Stan bit his lip and grunted something under his breath that the twins were thankful to have not heard.

Soos looked at Stan with wide eyes. "Woah, Mr. Pines! Are you okay?" He asked.

Stan clutched his forehead and nodded with his teeth clenched. "Yeah, just... hurry up and get us to the bus station." He muttered. Soos nodded and backed out once more, driving down the road to their destination.

* * *

"Hmm..," Bill mused. "Where would Fordsy put a solution to this?" He asked himself. He was in the laboratory with an unconscious Ford, down on his knees as he looked through file cabinet after file cabinet, file after file, document after document. It had only been about a half hour, but it already felt like hours. He hoped it would be worth it to get the old man back.

"What the heck could have caused this?" Bill muttered to himself. He looked behind him and saw Ford sleeping rather peacefully in his chair. He sighed and turned back at the file cabinet. This would take a while.

* * *

_"So," _

_"So what?" Ford asked Bill. _

_Bill rolled his eyes and took a step away from the other man. "So, how do ya' feel?" He asked, folding his arms. _

_Ford sighed and ran a hand through his hair. He couldn't just tell the truth, could he? Ford couldn't just admit that he had wanted that kiss for quite some time. He looked at Bill. "Well..," He began slowly. "It was certainly unexpected." He stated, running a hand through his hair and adjusting his glasses._

_Bill nodded. "Yeah, I know, but you wanna know what was even more unexpected?" He asked Ford, taking a step closer to the chair once more and sitting down on the other's lap. "The fact that you didn't pull away." Bill mused with a smirk. _

_Ford bit his lip and looked away. How was he supposed to respond to that? _

_Bill noticed the reaction and grinned. "Don't you worry, Fordsy!" Bill sang playfully. "I kinda knew how you felt about me." He admitted, facing Ford's head towards him and looking into his brown eyes. Ford raised an eyebrow and opened his mouth to say something, but Bill put his index finger atop his lips motioning for him not to speak just yet. "Let's just say that all those times you tried to hide the little blush on your face? It just drew attention to you." Bill said._

_Ford tilted his head, and Bill pulled his hand away from his mouth, wrapping his arms around Ford's neck instead. "Well, I'm not the best bluffer..." Ford admitted in a mutter. The conversation was really awkward now that Ford knew that the reaction was noticed so often. He was just as embarrassed as he was confused with the whole topic of this conversation in general. "If I may ask..," He began slowly. Bill nodded, encouraging him to continue. "H-how do you feel... about me?" Ford asked, stuttering a bit as the words left his mouth. He looked at Bill in clear confusion. Just asking the question made his heart skip a beat. _

_"Well," Bill began. "What do you think?" _

_Ford just shrugged. "It's hard to tell with someone like yourself." He said with a small smirk. _

_Bill punched Ford in the shoulder in a playful manner. "That's fair," He admitted, putting a hand in Ford's hair and playing with it. "Well, I'm fond of you, I'll tell you that." Bill said, looking away. _

_Stanford nodded slowly. "I hate to admit it, but I feel the same way." He stated, tilting his head back hesitantly and looking up at the ceiling. _

_Bill looked back at Ford and leaned his head forward over by the other man's ear. "Even after I tried to destroy the world and kill your fam-" He said, but was stopped when Ford turned his head sideways to look at him. Their noses were touching now and Ford grunted at Bill's words. _

_"Ah-" Ford mused. "Clean slate, remember?" _

_Bill gave a small smile and nodded. "I'm still surprised, Sixer. That won't change." He stated with a shrug. "To think that we went from friends to enemies, and then from enemies to future lovers." __Ford looked away and inhaled awkwardly. The word 'lover' rang in his head and he looked over at his desk, suddenly finding a pen interesting. Bill rolled his eyes. "Okay, so I'm assuming things. But do you really want to hide these emotions we both feel?" Bill asked, looking at Ford as the other continued to look over at the desk. _

_"It's harder than you'd think, Bill." Ford said with a frown. __Bill tilted his head and put a hand on his shoulder when Ford finally looked back at him. "It's a fresh start for the two of us, sure, but Stanley's not quite ready to drop anything that you did yet. Who knows if he ever will?" He said with a sigh. _

_Bill nodded and gave a small smile. "Can I get cheesy?" He asked. _

_Ford wasn't sure if he was trying to be funny, or just trying to change the conversation's topic. "This whole conversation is cheesy enough. Shoot." Ford said with a shrug._

_Bill sighed and wrapped his arms around Ford's neck once more, scooting closer and speaking slowly. "Who cares what your brother thinks?" Bill began. Ford squinted his eyes in confusion, and Bill continued. "I mean, if he sees that I'm not gonna go killing anything and everything I see, and if he understands that we're happy together, don't you think he would eventually come to his senses and forgive?" _

_"That's the thing about Stanley, you never know how he will react to something." Ford stated. The conversation was getting awkward, but Ford knew that it would be better to just get it over with rather than talking about it every day._

_Bill nodded and shrugged dismissively. "Maybe you should sleep on it, Sixer!" He said. Ford looked up at the time and noticed it was already 10:00. Bill got off the chair and folded his arms. "It sure got late fast!" He said with a chuckle. _

_Ford got up from the chair, and Bill picked him up in a bridal-style manner. Stanford exclaimed in annoyance. "Bill, what are you doing?" He asked, wanting to be put back down. _

_"It's late! Don't fight it." Bill stated, squinting his eyes at the other. _

_Ford rolled his eyes. "I don't usually go to sleep until later in the night, sleep at this time is rather unnecessary." He said, folding his arms. _

_Bill scoffed. "Sixer, you're not getting any younger. You might as well sleep while you still can." _

_Stanford shot a glare at the other man, irritated by the statement. "Bill, would you just put me down?" He asked, rather hasty with his words._

_"Sure!" Bill happily agreed. Ford thanked the demon, but wasn't amused when Bill ran off to Ford's makeshift room, opening the door carelessly and literally throwing him onto his bed. Bill snickered and folded his arms. "Better?" He asked with a wide grin. _

_Ford rolled his eyes. "Fine," He said. "I'll go to sleep if you go upstairs and sleep as well." He compromised as he turned on the lamp that was on his nightstand. _

_"Upstairs?" Bill asked, folding his arms and giving a sarcastic eyeroll. _

_Stanford nodded in confirmation and folded his arms. "Upstairs." He clarified. _

_"Hey, you compromised with me, can't I compromise with you?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips. _

_Ford shrugged and criss-crossed his legs. "And what would that be?" He asked the other. _

_Bill bit his lip and thought for a moment. His eyes widened for a moment, and he grinned, pointing his finger up indicating that he had an idea. "Oh! I know," He started. "I'll help you with your little 'emotion-reading' gizmo if I can stay here." _

_Stanford adjusted his glasses and sighed. "Listen, Bill. I'm not just kicking you out to kick you out, I have my reasons." _

_"Reasons?" Bill repeated, squinting his eyes. "What kind of reasons?" He asked. _

_"If I'm being completely honest, I got upset with myself the next morning after you stayed with me last time. I just.., don't know how I feel about being that close while I'm unconscious." Ford said, hoping that he said it in the best-sounding way. _

_Bill folded his arms. "What happened to starting over? A 'clean slate', as you call it?" He said, squinting his eyes. _

_Ford looked down at his hands. Bill was right. But did he really want to risk it? He had been telling Bill that he's ready to start over, but does starting over mean sleeping in a nearby distance, close enough to the point where he could be killed at any moment?_

_It just doesn't seem fair to Bill, Ford told himself. He had let Bill stay with him once, and no harm had come to him. Was he really willing to risk it? _

_"I suppose you're correct," Ford muttered. Bill's eyes widened in surprise. That was certainly something that Stanford hadn't told him before._

_Bill scoffed sarcastically. "Me? Correct?" He asked, putting a hand on his heart and walking over to the other side of the bed. Ford nodded slowly, giving a strange look. "Well of course I'm correct." Bill said with a smirk. "When am I not?" _

_Ford rolled his eyes. "Often." He stated, folding his arms and chuckling. He looked at Bill and noticed his mouth was wide open in some sort of sarcastic-offense. Ford was humored by the reaction and lifted his sheets to go under, the comforter up to his shoulders. _

_Bill narrowed his eyes at the comeback. "Hey!" He shot at the other. He saw the look on Ford's face and snickered. "Speak for yourself." He said, grabbing the bedsheets and crawling into them, snuggling his face in his pillow. Ford saw the action and figured it would be best to turn the light off. He leaned over towards the lamp and turned it off, taking off his glasses and running a hand through his hair, looking at the door as he began to space out. _

_Stanford was just nearly asleep when he felt arms wrapping around his torso. He looked to his right and raised an eyebrow, grunting. "Bill, what are you doing?" He asked, trying to move the other's arms. Bill clasped his hands together to create a grip around the man, not bothering to respond to the question, instead only snickering. Ford just sighed, deciding not to fight it._

* * *

"This is ridiculous!" Bill stated with a grunt. "Is there somewhere I'm forgetting to check?" He asked aloud, even though there was no one else in the room but a sleeping Ford. Bill looked over at Stanford who was still asleep on his office chair. Bill wasn't even sure if he could call the man's state a sleep anymore.

He looked up at the clock and looked at the time. The time was 10:00, and Bill shut yet another file cabinet. _Maybe getting some sleep will help me. _He thought to himself. Bill was considering going to sleep, but he wasn't sure what to do with Ford. _Should I just leave him here? What if something happens during the night while I'm asleep? _

Bill stood up and sighed, deciding to relocate the other man for the night. He walked over to Ford and lifted him off the chair, carrying him in a bridal-style way. He walked over to the spare makeshift room in the lab and opened the door to it, walking over to the bed and placing Stanford down somewhat gently. He grabbed hold of the sheets and practically rolled Ford under them, putting the sheets atop of him. The man looked calm and unbothered by the transportation, not that he could really tell that he had been moved. Could he?

He looked down at his hands and sighed. To think he went from a all-knowing dream demon to a pathetic human who _actually _tolerates Stanford rather than just using him to create a portal. The thought of him _actually _having a change in heart made his stomach turn sometimes, and he scolded himself for forming such a soft side so suddenly.

Bill climbed on the other side of the bed and crawled under the sheets beneath him. He looked over at Ford who was clearly still in his sleep. Bill wasn't sure if something would happen during the night, but if something did, at least he might be close enough to see what it was. _I'll fix this. _Bill told himself. He knew he would. He looked over at the other once more, zoning out a bit until he heard a familiar _ding! _coming from the elevator. _Crap, It must be fez! _He thought to himself. Bill quickly scrambled out of the bed and hurried to stand up. He looked over at the bed and adjusted his pillow a bit to make it look like it _hadn't _just been laid on.

He heard footsteps coming towards the door, and flinched slightly when the door opened. However, the person at the door wasn't who Bill thought it was. It wasn't Stan, it had been Soos that had opened the door.

"Mr. Ford?" Soos called out, looking around the room. He looked over at the bed and saw Ford laying there asleep. He looked to the right side of the bed and saw Bill leaning against the wall, casually leaning there with his arms folded. "Bill?" He questioned. "Did Ford wake up? Is he okay, dude?" Soos asked frantically.

Bill shook his head and put his hands out in front of him. "Woah!" Bill began. "Relax question mark! If you keep being all frantic like that, you'll hop on a one-way trip to the ER!" He stated, folding his arms once more.

"Sorry dude, I'm just really worried." Soos explained. "Is Mr. Ford okay?"

Bill ran a hand through his hair and shook his head. "No," He started, and Soos's eyes widened in alarm. Bill noticed the way he had lost track of what he was saying, and was quick to correct himself. "I mean _yes! _Well, _No, _he's not _okay, _but he _is okay _because he's not dead!" Bill exclaimed, frantically swinging his arms around as he tried to explain.

Soos gave an awkward chuckle. "So, he woke up?"

Bill shook his head. "No, I just moved him so he wasn't just sleeping around in his chair for however long he will be like this." He said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Well did you find a way to wake him up?" Soos asked hopefully.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Look, _Soos,_" He began, putting his hands on his hips. "If I had a solution, he already _would _be awake, and he _would _be back to normal!" He stated with a glare that gave a sign to the handyman that Bill was stressed.

"I know what can make you better!" Soos exclaimed. Bill tilted his head, and Soos folded his arms with a smile. "I'm off work tomorrow, maybe I could stop by anyway and help you try to find the answer!" He said with a grin.

Bill shrugged and shook his head slowly. "Look Soos, that's really nice, but-" Bill started. He stopped himself in-between his words, and Soos tilted his head to the side in confusion. Bill thought for a small moment and gave a small smirk. "It's very, _very _kind of you to offer, and I would _love _to use you to- ...I mean_ use_ your _very helpful _experience in order to help dear ol' Fordsy!" Bill said with a wide grin, nodding his head and pointing over at Ford in a showful manner.

Soos shrugged and smiled. "Great! I'll be here at 7:00!" He said, walking away and shutting the door. Bill watched the man leave and gave a wave to the man as he left. Bill folded his arms and smirked. _If I can get Soos to gain my trust tomorrow, then maybe he can help fix the portal in the mere future. _

Bill got back into the bed, putting the sheets above his shoulders. He looked at Ford and sighed. _Would Sixer even consider letting Soos do that? _He asked himself. _What if we got it fixed behind his back? _

No, that didn't sound like a good idea, not even to Bill. The demon bit his lip and sighed, scooting closer to the asleep Ford and wrapping his arms around his torso as he drifted off to sleep.

* * *

_Ford woke up at about 7:00AM. For a moment, he didn't remember what happened the other night. He gave it a moment, and was quick to remember everything. The events of the night were rather unexpected, but were certainly not rejected by either Bill nor Ford. He squinted his eyes and looked at the alarm clock on his nightstand, aware of the time. He looked behind him and noticed Bill sleeping peacefully beside him. Ford brushed Bill's hair out of his face before quietly getting out of his bed._

_He was quick to grab his pants from off the floor and store it in his hamper. Ford dug through his dresser drawer and got an identical grey pair, along with his Maroon sweater. He was hoping to forget what had happened- unfortunately he wasn't sure that would be possible. _

_Soon after Ford had gotten ready for the day, leaving his lab coat folded on a chair, Bill woke up from his sleep, yawning obnoxiously. His eyes fluttered open and he looked around the room, rubbing his eyes as he sat up. "Hey, Fordsy." He addressed in a tired manner. _

_Ford gave a small wave to the other and ran a hand through his hair. "Oh, you're awake," Ford muttered. "I'll be upstairs for a little while, feel free to come up for breakfast." He said as he clutched the doorknob, opening the door and closing it behind him._

_"Good talk," Bill muttered to himself. He better not start avoiding conversations. I wonder how long he's gonna be all awkward when we talk to eachother. He thought to himself. _

_Stanford made his way up to the kitchen where he greeted his brother, who was drinking a cup of coffee rather civilized. Stan looked up at his brother as Ford walked into the kitchen and grabbed a slice of bread. "Hey, pointdexter." Stan said with a wave of his fingers as he took another sip of his coffee, putting his pinkie out for show. _

_Ford greeted Stan with a smile. "Good morning, Stanley!" He said joyfully as he grabbed a slice of bread. "Want some toast?" _

_Stan gave a nod of his head. "Sure, thanks." He thanked, swirling the coffee in his cup around in circles carefully._

_Ford grinned and shrugged. "No problem. Is that a new watch?" He asked, looking at the arm Stan was holding his coffee in._

_Stanley nodded. "Uh-huh! Pure gold!" He said as he looked at his brother with a smirk, pointing to it with his spare hand. _

_Ford tilted his head. "Really?" He asked, astonished. "That's pretty high-class!" He stated impressed, closing the bag of bread with a twist-tie._

_"Gee, you're awful cheerful this morning, pointdexter. What's up with you?" Stan asked, a bit suspicious at his brother's behavior. _

_Stanford smiled and chuckled. "Aren't I always?" He asked, looking at his brother with a grin on his face that gave Stanley multiple reasons to be suspicious as he made a clockwise gradual spin towards the toaster behind him. _

_Okay, something is definitely up with him. Stan confirmed to himself with a mental nod of his head. Why's he all happy all of a sudden? He's usually all boring and lame. Stan thought as he took another sip of coffee. Heh, can't say I'm complainin' though! Maybe it'll be nice to have him a little more cheerful once and a while. I just wanna know what caused his mood-change..._

_"So, are the kids up yet?" Ford asked as he popped the bread slices into the toaster. _

_Stan shrugged. "Not sure, they've been pretty quiet if they are, which is pretty unusual for knuckleheads like them." Stan said, laughing at his own joke and drinking more coffee. "Hey, what about Bill?" Stan asked. _

_Ford felt a shiver go up his spine at the man mentioned. He kept his cool and just raised an eyebrow at the question. "What about him?" He asked, putting an elbow on the counter as he leaned against it._

_"Is he up yet?" Stan asked with a roll of his eyes. "What else would I be talkin' about?" He asked, putting his coffee mug down on the table and folding his arms. _

_"Oh," Ford muttered. Of course that's what Stanley meant, he couldn't possibly know... could he? Ford asked himself. He just shrugged in response and looked over at the toaster, assuming the toast would be done momentarily. "He was awake, but he hasn't come upstairs yet. He could have fallen back asleep." He said. _

_Stan raised an eyebrow. "Upstairs?" He asked, confused. "Don't ya' mean 'he hasn't come... downstairs?'" _

_Ford bit his lip. He looked down at his feet for a moment. _

_Crap. Ford thought to himself. He looked at Stan who was clearly waiting for some sort of response. Just in the nick of time, the toast popped up from the toaster. Ford quickly looked at it and applied a wide grin to his face. "Toast is ready!" He exclaimed with a sheepish walk, talk, facial expression, and personality. Ford quickly grabbed a couple of plates from up in the cupboard and brought them down, placing them down on the counter. He took the slices out of the toaster fast, hoping to avoid being burnt by the heat of the slices. _

_Once the toast was on the plates, Ford handed one to Stan, where his brother quietly thanked him. And if you have ever wondered if confusion can mix with thanks, this right here would be your proof._

_Bill yawned and stretched his arms out above his head as he stumbled into the kitchen. Stan noticed the action and narrowed his eyes. The demon ran a hand through his hair and greeted the two in the room. "Good morning, old and older!" Bill exclaimed in a sing-songy voice, pointing a finger at Stan for 'old' and pointing a finger at Ford for 'older'. Ford rolled his eyes and Bill chuckled mockingly as he walked over to the other man. "Aw, don't let it get ya' down, Sixer! It sure doesn't seem like you've aged according to your top-notch skills in bed-" He stated, and was stopped in his sentence when Ford quickly put a hand over his mouth to stop him from speaking, staring at the wall across from him with his eyes wide open in mortification. _

_Bill tried to smirk and folded his arms. "Dnt br afshmed, sivzr." He said, trying to speak even with the other's hand covering his mouth._

_Stan looked at Ford for a moment, and grabbed his coffee mug once more from the table, taking a long, slow sip, the sound filling the silent room. Ford looked over at his brother for a split second, and looked away once more. Stan rolled his eyes. "Who ya' tryin' to fool?" He asked. Ford looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Stanley took a long, quick sip of coffee and set the mug back down onto the table. "You think I didn't know?" Stan began once more. "I'm two floors above ya', and yet the two of you are as audible as the smell of money." He stated, folding his arms. _

_Ford took his hand away from Bill's face and folded his arms, looking at Stan as if he were a halfwit. "Okay, first of all, Stanley," Ford started. "Hearing and smell are two very different senses. And secondly-" _

_"Yeah, yeah," Stan groaned, waving his arm dismissively. "Point is, maybe you two should tone it down a little bit. Next thing I know it, I'm gonna' start missin' the feeling of peaceful sleep." He said, muttering the last bit to himself. He grabbed his coffee mug and walked out of the kitchen. _

_Bill watched Stan leave the room, and turned to face Ford once he left. "Well," He mused. "He seemed rather... chill." He said, looking at the other man and putting his hands on the counter, practically pinning Ford against the counter. _

_Ford sighed. "He won't be soon," He muttered to himself. "I-... I don't know what happened last night." He stated, avoiding eye contact with the other. _

_"Well," Bill began with a smirk. "It all started when we got into be-" _

_"N-no, that's not what I mean." Ford stated firmly. "I just don't know why I even gave in to such a foolish act." He said, folding his arms. _

_Bill nodded and shrugged dismissively. "Face it, sixer. It happened. It happened, and there's no going back." He stated, looking at him firmly as he spoke. "Don't go regretting it, either." He added. _

_Stanford ran a hand through his hair as he adjusted his glasses. Bill moved his head over where Ford was staring, practically forcing some eye contact. Ford looked at him, giving in to the eye contact, and exhaled slowly. "I feel like this was wrong. That we should have taken this more slow." He muttered, looking at Bill and hoping he would agree. The same thought was not shared when Bill just rolled his eyes. _

_"Everyone makes mistakes." He stated, putting a hand on Ford's shoulder. "And in my personal opinion, last night wasn't a mistake. It was what we both needed to ease the tension between us, ya' know?" _

_Stanford nodded slowly. "You've really had a way with words recently." He complimented with a small smile. _

_Bill took his hands off the counter gave a small bow for show, grinning. Ford shook his head and chuckled at the behavior, and Bill popped back up, giving him a quick peck on Ford's cheek. Stan poked his head from outside of the kitchen, taking a sip of his coffee before speaking. "Yeah," He began, and Ford jumped at the sudden reappearance of his brother. Stan smirked at the way he had startled the other and continued speaking. "It's almost like he's hypnotizin' ya'." He stated jokingly with a small chuckle, walking away and leaving the two alone in the kitchen once more. _

_Ford called out for Stanley and was quick to leave the kitchen. Bill watched him leave the room and folded his arms, giving a sly smirk and muttering a singular, rather alarming word under his breath. "Almost." _

_"Stanley!" Ford called out to his brother._

_Stan stopped in his tracks to turn around and face his brother. "What is it, pointdexter? It's almost 9:00AM, I gotta see if the kids have woken up yet. Haven't heard a peep from either of em' all morning." He stated, handing his empty coffee cup to Ford and folding his arms. Ford looked at the coffee cup for a moment and rolled his eyes at the way Stan had discarded it for him to put away. "Well?" Stan asked, rather impatiently. _

_Ford sighed. "I just wanted to ask you something." He stated. _

_Stan shrugged. "Shoot." He encouraged._

_"About the whole... everything," He admitted, muttering the word 'everything'. Ford looked at Stan and adjusted his glasses. "You didn't seem at all concerned or upset. Why?" He asked, hoping for a serious answer._

_Stan smirked and chuckled. "Oh I was concerned, concerned for the lack of sleep I was getting, and-" He began jokingly, a hand out as he counted the reasons with his fingers. _

_Stanford grunted. "Stan, would you be serious for a moment?" He asked._

_"Oh, I am being serious!" Stan exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. Ford rolled his eyes and Stan laughed. "Okay, okay," Stan said, putting his hands in front of him as he succeeded to control his laughter. "If you want the honest truth, that ol' demon's not half bad." He said with a shrug. The answer came as a surprise to Ford, he wasn't expecting Stan to admit something like that. "Even when worst comes to worst, you're still my brother. So if you're happy, I'm happy." He stated with a small smile on his face as he turned around to walk up the stairs. _

_Stan disappeared up the stairs for a moment, and Ford nodded slowly, pleased with the way the conversation had turned out. He turned around to discard of the coffee mug when Stan walked back down the stairs enough to look back at Ford. "But seriously, Stanford. I'm not gettin' any younger and I'll be needin' my sleep. Maybe some soundproof walls would-" _

_"Stanley!" Ford hissed, glaring and facepalming in humiliation. Stan snickered at the reaction and disappeared up the stairs once more. _

_Ford walked back over to the kitchen and put the mug Stan had given to him in the sink. He looked around and noticed that Bill had left the room sometime during the conversation. He figured this would be the best time to begin the process of fixing his emotion-reading device. _

_Meanwhile upstairs, Stan walked into the room that Dipper and Mabel had been staying in. He noticed Dipper and Mabel sleeping peacefully. Huh, surprised they've been sleepin' this long. Hopefully they went to bed early enough last night. He turned around and saw Bill beside him at the doorway. Stan was quick to close the bedroom door and come back out into the hallway. Bill folded his arms when he saw the look on Stan's face. "Well?" Bill asked, hoping for the other to say something._

_"The kids are in there." Stan muttered, looking at the demon._

_Bill responded to the news with a glare and exhaled in frustration. "This is going to be harder than I thought." He muttered, mainly to himself._

_Stan raised an eyebrow. "What're ya' talkin' about?" He asked. _

_The demon glared and flicked Stan on his forehead. "Use your brain, ya' big eared old guy!" Bill shot at Stan. "The kids are still here in this world! When Ford wakes up from this dream, the kids in the real world are gonna be gone, then he's gonna wonder WHY the kids are gone!" He informed, exclaiming 'why' with a loud voice. _

_Stan put a finger up to his lips, signaling to the other to be quiet. "It'll be worse if Ford hears ya'!" He whisper-shouted with clenched teeth. "If ya' want your plan to work, you're gonna have to find a way to get the kids back home, and fast."  
_

_Bill shook his head and put his hands on his hips, staring at Stan. "Uh, don't you mean YOU'RE going to find a way to get the kids home?" He asked, not much of a question but closer to the form of a command. "You're closer with Stanford, he'll be more on board with something if it comes from you." Bill stated. _

_"I'm closer?" Stan asked with a half-glare. "You're the one who got it on with my brother last night!" He stated, nearly scolding. _

_Bill rolled his eyes. "I did what had to be done." He stated. "Figure something out, and don't talk to me until you have an idea." He commanded, patting Stan on the shoulder sarcastically before heading down the stairs. _

_Stan just shook his head and glared. "Demons bossin' me around." He muttered to himself. _

* * *

_Hours later, Bill finally met Ford downstairs with a smile on his face. "Hey, Fordsy!" He greeted, his hands on his hips. _

_Ford gave a small wave as he kept his eyes on a paper he was writing on. "Hello, Bill." He greeted back. Bill rolled his eyes when Ford didn't look up at him, and he walked over to wrap his arms around Ford's neck. _

_"I've been bored all day." Bill stated with a pout. _

_Ford continued to look down at his paper as he spoke. "Well, you could always try communicating with the kids. Mabel seems to be forgiving you much faster than Dipper has recently." _

_Bill scoffed. "Yeah, I'm sure Dipper wouldn't be on board with the whole 'clean slate' thing." He assumed. _

_Ford shrugged in a half-agreement. "It will take time, but Dipper is a very intelligent boy. The two of you just might get along in the future." He said, still writing on the same paper. _

_Bill shook his head and put his chin on the top of Ford's head. "Yeah, right," He muttered. "You're full of beans, sixer." He stated. "Did you figure out whatever needs to be done with the emotion-reading thing? Does it even have a name?" Bill asked in confusion. _

_"It doesn't have a name yet, really," Ford admitted. "However, what we've been calling it recently is doing just fine. I would appreciate if you would help test it out soon, I think I've found the error."_

_Bill's eyes widened. Crap, If he fixes it in his dream and wakes up with it still broken, he'll find out he was dreaming. This isn't good... "Um, actually," Bill started. "Could we do that another day? I uh, I-i'm not feeling too good." Bill stuttered, not having any other ideas. _

_Ford set his pencil down at stood up, turning around to look at Bill. He pulled up the sleeves of his sweater and put his wrist up to Bill's forehead. "Why, are you sick?" He asked. _

_Bill shrugged. "I don't know," He half-lied. "My head hurts really bad." _

_Stanford nodded and shrugged. "A headache would be my guess, maybe go drink some water. It helps!" He said with a smile, and sat back down in his chair. "Tell me if it gets better, hopefully we can get this information soon, I have a good feeling about my hypothesis and I've been writing it down on this paper." _

_"Alright, I'll go get some water I guess," He muttered, and walked away and into the elevator. Ford picked up his pencil once more and continued to write. _

* * *

"Did you find it yet, question mark?" Bill asked.

Soos shook his head and chuckled. "Sorry, dude. I haven't found anything but this old chip bag that was crumpled up in the corner. There's still a few left!" He exclaimed in excitement as he popped one into his mouth without hesitation.

Bill cringed at the behavior and face palmed, sighing. "Have you even _tried _looking for.. whatever we're trying to find?" He asked.

The handyman shrugged. "Sorry dude, I can't read all this nerd language." He admitted.

Bill grunted and shook his head. "Get a dictionary!" He exclaimed in annoyance, throwing his hands in the air and grabbing the hair on his head in frustration, about ready to pull it all out at any second. "Useless.." He whispered to himself.

"Huh?" Soos asked, looking at Bill. He hadn't quite heard him.

Bill looked at Soos and shrugged, an innocent look on his face. "What? Uh, I didn't say anything." He lied.

Soos's eyes widened. "Then it must have been Mr. Ford!" He exclaimed. "_Mr. Ford!" _Soos hollered. "Are you awake?"

_That's just... sad._ Bill thought to himself. _Surely _he has a brain, _right_? At this point, Bill wasn't quite sure. "Any word from Fez?" He asked.

Soos shook his head. "Not much. Last thing I saw him doing this morning, he was making a few duplicates of these Santa-beaver things. Mr. Pines is pretty convinced that they'll sell out faster than anything else in the gift shop, so he wants to make as many as he can until he runs out of materials for them I guess." He informed.

Bill nodded. "Do you think he would be interested in helping us?" He asked.

The handyman thought for a moment before shaking his head hesitantly. "Probably not, he seemed a tad strange last night before I left to go back home."

_Tad strange... _Bill thought in his head. _Isn't there a guy in Gravity Falls with that name?_ He wondered. Bill shook away the thought for a moment and shrugged. "Well, maybe if he won't help us with this, maybe we could work on something else for a while." He suggested.

Soos raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about, dawg?" He questioned.

Bill ran a hand through his hair and gave a grin. "Well, there's this project that Sixer... _abandoned." _Bill half-lied. "If we can get him back and show him that this is fixed, I'm sure he'll be jumping around in glee." He mused.

"Well, what does he need done?" Soos asked Bill.

Bill stood up and put his hands behind his neck. "You fix stuff, don't ya'?" He asked. Soos nodded in confirmation and Bill understood. "Look over there. See that huge sheet covering up that window by the desk?" He asked.

"Yeah, wasn't that the room with the huge portal thing Ford came out of a few months ago?" He asked.

Bill nodded. "Bingo!" He exclaimed. "If you can help get that beauty fixed up, he just might deem you as a hero in his eyes!" He stated, grinning ear to ear with his hands on his hips.

Soos stood up and had a confident look on his face, putting his hand out in front of him. "Hand me my toolbelt, dude." He commanded, squinting his eyes at the room in confidence. Bill did as told and put his toolbelt in his hands, and Soos ran up to the door, opening it up and looking around for a moment. The room was a bit bigger than he had remembered, but it could have been the heat of the moment than had made the room feel so small at first. "It's pretty dark in here, dawg. Good thing I always carry a flashlight!" Soos exclaimed with a chuckle. "I better get to work!" He said.

Bill nodded and smirked. "Good idea!" He said, turning around to go back to the file cabinets. "Dam answer... where are you?" He muttered to himself as he got down on his knees once more, looking around in the file cabinet.

* * *

_"Oh, you got back fairly quick!" Ford said, looking at Bill for a moment as he walked out of the elevator with a glass of water. "Are you feeling any better?" _

_Bill shrugged. " Like you said, I got back pretty quick. I wasn't even gone for five minutes, so there's no way of telling if my condition as improved or not." He stated, taking a sip of water. "Why does water gotta' be so plain?" He muttered in complaint. _

_Ford nodded. "Well, I suppose that's a fair point." He admitted. He grabbed his pencil and began writing down on a piece of paper._

_"What are you writing about now?" Bill asked as he walked closer to the desk._

_Stanford just shrugged. "Nothing much, really." He assured. _

_"You sure?" Bill asked, putting an elbow on Ford's shoulder and balancing. Ford nodded, confirming, and Bill placed his water down on the desk. "Mind if I put that there for a minute?" He asked. "Just gonna look for something real quick." He stated. _

_Ford nodded. "Go ahead." _

_"Thanks." Bill thanked. He walked over to the file cabinet, pretending to look for something. _

_Stanford looked over for a moment in confusion when Bill began rummaging through the file cabinet. "Uh, Bill?" He addressed. Bill looked at Ford for a split second, and looked back at the file cabinet. "What exactly are you trying to find-" _

_"Found it!" Bill exclaimed, grabbing a completely random file from the cabinet. He wasn't sure what he had grabbed, but it didn't really matter for his plan to work out. He walked over to Ford and put the file out in front of him, holding on to it to make sure Ford didn't grab hold of it. "See?" Bill asked, putting it too close to Ford's face to the point where the words went blurry. During the motion, Bill purposely knocked over his water glass onto the paper Ford had been writing. "Oh no!" Bill exclaimed, his sarcasm hidden. _

_Ford stood up and was quick to grab the paper from the desk, grunting in annoyance. "Move over a bit, I keep some paper towels in that drawer!" He exclaimed. Bill obeyed and moved over, opening the drawer connected to the desk. Ford took the paper towels and placed a few atop the desk, saving a couple of the papers around the puddle. _

_"Sorry." Bill muttered, biting his lip to hide the sly smirk on his face. _

_"That's okay, Bill. I've lost count of how many times I have done the exact same thing." _

_Bill picked up the soaked paper he had intentionally gotten wet. "But, what about this? All that information about your emotion gizmo, it's gone now..." He said with a sigh. _

_Ford snickered and shook his head. "Don't worry!" He assured. "I had finished writing it just moments after you left to head upstairs. It's right here at the top of the file cabinet!" He assured, walking over to the file cabinet and picking it up, holding it up towards Bill for proof. "There's no need to worry." _

_"Great." Bill said with a forced smile, his teeth clenched together as he spoke. Ford failed to notice one of Bill's eyes twitching, as the paper had blocked the view. Bill looked at the paper for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, Fordsy..." He began slowly. "That's not the right paper..." He said. _

_"What?" Ford asked. He looked at the paper for a moment and groaned. "You're right. Where did I put that paper?" He asked himself. _

_Bill shrugged. "Dunno. Does it really matter? Surely you remembered most of the information on that paper since you had jut written it, right?" He asked, folding his arms. _

_Stanford shook his head. "Not much, I had been double-tasking, and that disrupted my memory of what I had written."_

_"That sucks." Bill commented. _

_Ford nodded in agreement. "Indeed," He said with a sigh. "Why don't you head off to bed and get some rest while I locate this paper I've misplaced." Ford advised. _

_Bill scoffed sarcastically and wrapped his arms around the other's neck, looking into Ford's eyes as Bill squinted his. "Hey, you don't tell me what to do." Bill stated jokingly. He looked around the room for a moment, pretending to be sarcastically thinking about something, and finally met eye contact with the other once more. "You know what, I'm going to bed now." He stated. _

_Ford chuckled and nodded. "I'm sure that would be best." He said. Bill nodded and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek before walking off towards the basement's bedroom door. Ford turned around and raised an eyebrow. "Bill, your room is upstairs." He stated. _

_"Don't care." Bill stated, and swung the door closed behind him. Ford rolled his eyes and shook his head, smiling. _

_Where did I put that paper? Ford asked himself, scratching the back of his neck as he scanned the room for a moment. I couldn't have put it away, could I? _

_Bill went straight under the covers of the bed down in the basement, and put his arms behind his head, smirking. Foolish old man, doesn't even realize this is all in his head. Time is passing faster than he thinks in the mindscape, he better get back into reality soon. Should I set him free back to reality yet? Maybe he should stay here in this illusion of a dream forever... _

_No... That would be foolish. Bill told himself. He needs to wake up. It may have been too long already. Dam, I should have kept more track of time myself. Weeks have passed already, his real family has probably rushed him to the hospital by now. He needs to be sent back tomorrow. No, tonight. _

_Yes, tonight. _

_Bill had decided his half-plan. Sending Stanford back into reality would give him more time to brainstorm and improvise. _

_Meanwhile, Ford was still in the other room in the laboratory, looking for the paper he had misplaced. "Maybe Bill put it somewhere..." He muttered. He looked up at the clock on the wall and noticed it was getting late. He sighed and pushed in his office chair, and ran a hand through his hair. "Surely this can wait until tomorrow." Ford decided, and gave a motion of shrugging off his lab coat. He looked at his torso only to realize he had taken it off earlier. He put his hand on his forehead and sighed. I think I'm losing my focus. Sleep will do me some good. _

_He walked over to the spare room in the laboratory and opened the door cautiously in case Bill had already fallen asleep. He walked over to the right side of the bed, slowly crawling under the covers and placing them overtop his torso. He looked over at the lamp that Bill must have turned off before drifting off to sleep. Ford grabbed the glasses and took them off his face, placing them on the nightstand and folding the sides into an x shape, laying them down on the nightstand carefully. He laid on his left side, facing the nightstand as he drifted off to sleep. _

_Bill waited a few moments before opening one of his eyes, looking over at the other man. As far as Bill could tell, he had no trouble falling asleep. He sat up in the bed slightly and looked over at Ford, waving a hand in front of his face to make sure that he was asleep. Ford showed no signs of being awake, and Bill put a hand in the other man's hair, clutching his hair gently. "See you soon, Fordsy." He mused in a tone of voice that was near to a whisper. _

_The demon looked at the clock on the wall as the hands on it began spinning in a clockwise rotation rapidly, watching as nearly two full days passed by. He looked down at Ford and noticed his figure slowly fading away to the point where Bill was holding his fist in the air rather than the other man's hair. _

* * *

Ford's eyes shot open, and he looked around the room to see Bill beside him, slowly sitting up as he rubbed his eyes. He looked beside him and his eyes widened. "You.. you're awake!" He exclaimed in glee. He crawled over to Ford who was sitting up in the bed, and Bill sat atop his thighs, grabbing the other's head and examining it in alarm.

"Yes, I'm awake." Ford stated in a rather dull manner. "What's with the look of alarm?" He asked.

Bill took his hands away from Ford's face and raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

Ford rolled his eyes and chuckled. "I'm perfectly fine, Bill. Thank you for being so... concerned." He said, saying the last word rather slowly.

Bill nodded and wrapped his arms around the other's neck. "I missed you." He muttered in the other's ear.

Stanford raised an eyebrow. "You're acting rather strange. Is everything okay?" He asked.

"Is now!" Bill exclaimed with a grin.

Ford nodded slowly. "I'm going to go talk to the kids and Stan for a bit. Care to join me?" He asked with a smile.

Bill bit his lip and sighed. "Um.." He muttered in a rather low pitch that gave Ford a reason to be concerned. "The kids..," He began. "They're... _gone._"

"Gone?" Ford asked in confusion. "Where did they go?"

Bill squinted his eyes for a moment in _true _guilt, looking at the other man. "They went back to California. Their parents wanted them back for Thanksgiving, and they said that their parents wouldn't let them come back for Christmas."

"W-what?" Ford asked. "How could that be? Stanley said they were sleeping in just the other day..." He stated, folding his arms.

Bill shook his head. "They've been gone for nearly a month, Stanford."

Ford shook his head. "Bill, that's not possible." He stated, getting out of bed quickly. Bill stumbled back a bit at the fast motion of the other man. "They're here. Stanley would have told me otherwise. Have you been drinking?"

"Drinking?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do ya' mean like, alcohol?"

Ford nodded. "Yes, that's exactly what I mean. As far as I know, you've seemed perfectly fine. Come now, let's get to work on the device."

"Device?" The demon asked once more, getting off the bed and standing on the floor.

Stanford rolled his eyes. "The emotion-reader?" He reminded.

Bill snapped his fingers. "_Oh, _that!" He exclaimed, remembering. "Sure thing, sixer!" He exclaimed with a smile. _Crap... What's wrong with Ford? How am I supposed to get him up to speed? Should I just come right out about it and tell him that he had been asleep for nearly a month? Holy crap.., how did he survive for an entire month? Maybe I am confused... _

**There's chapter 26! Next chapter will be up on Christmas! Stay tuned (:**


	24. Apologies by the tree

**Here is chapter 27! We're so close to 100,000 words 0-0**

**Also, about the poker game in this chapter: I don't _actually _know how to play poker, so I had to look up some of the basics on the internet. Please excuse the mistakes in the way the game plays out if there are any. **

**Also, _MERRY CHRISTMAS!_ Here the chapter is, on Christmas AS PROMISED! I hope you like it (: **

Bill and Ford came out of the room and stood in the main part of the lab instead. Ford looked around once more, seeing no sign of the paper he had misplaced. "Unfortunately, I couldn't find the paper last night, so we're just going to have to use what I remember- which isn't much.." He muttered in defeat. Bill raised an eyebrow. _What is he talking about? Paper? Last night? _

"You're crazy." Bill stated with a chuckle.

Ford rolled his eyes and smiled. "Am I?"

"Yes, you _are._" Bill said, folding his arms, watching Stanford as he grabbed the device from off his desk. "Oh yeah, did you find a solution to that device, Sixer?"

Stanford nodded. "Yes, I believe I had, until I lost the paper..."

"Lost the...paper?" Bill questioned.

Ford nodded once more. "The paper, remember? The one with all the information and hypothesis's I had written down?" He asked, folding his arms.

Bill raised an eyebrow, when an idea came to him. "Oh, _right!_" He lied. "Right, right. I _definitely _remember _that, _Sixer!" He said with an awkward chuckle. "Let's get to work!"

Ford smiled. "You're pretty ecstatic for work today. Are you okay, Bill?" He asked half-sarcastically with a chuckle.

"Of course!" Bill said with a grin.

Stanford shrugged and grabbed the emotion device. "Alright then, from what I've been working on recently, it just might work. However, we'll never know until we try." He added. "Are you up for it?" He asked Bill, looking on the device for the '_on_' switch.

Bill rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Sixer, you just said that I was extra excited for work. Of _course _I'm up for it!" Bill said eagerly, cupping his hands together. Bill didn't care that Ford was talking a bit crazy, he was just glad to have gotten him back after _weeks_ of waiting. Now that he had thought about it, he wasn't sure _how _Ford had woken up. Did he do something, or did he just wake up on his own? Regardless, he sat down on the ground and put his hands out to his sides, ready to be scanned. Or, shot. Or, whatever it is the device would do. At this point, the results didn't matter to him.

"Alright," Ford muttered, looking at the device and aiming it towards Bill. "I'm just gonna turn it on, and-" He began, but stopped in his words, raising an eyebrow. The device wouldn't even turn on. "Huh..?"

Bill stood up in confusion. "Hey, what's the hold up, Sixer? Something wrong?" He asked, standing up near Ford and looking at the device. Bill could tell his breath smelt a bit like liquor, but Ford failed to notice as far as Bill could tell. Bill looked behind Ford and noticed the elevator's doors open. He looked at the figure over Ford's shoulder and noticed Stan was there in the elevator.

"Good morning, Stanley." Ford muttered, not bothering to turn around and look at his brother, instead looking at the device in confusion.

Stan looked in front of him and noticed his brother standing up on his own. Bill peered over Ford's shoulder to look at Stan and gave a shrug. Stan ignored the gesture and ran up towards Ford, his arms wide open. "_Stanford!" _He exclaimed in pure joy, wrapping his arms around Ford's neck with a bit more force than intended.

Ford raised an eyebrow and turned his neck to look behind him and saw Stan looking at him in happiness. "Stan, what's the matter with you-?" He asked, but was interrupted by the other.

"I missed you so much!" Stan exclaimed. "I almost lost ya' again!" He stated, and pressed his cheek against his brothers.

Ford rolled his eyes and groaned in annoyance, pulling away and giving him a strange look. "What are you _talking about?_" He asked in absolute confusion.

"There's no time to explain!" Stan stated, grinning from ear-to-ear. "Let's go upstairs and get some coffee, eh?"

Ford shrugged his way out of Stan's grasp and ran a hand through his hair. "Um..," He began. "I don't see why not, I-"

"_Great!_" Stan exclaimed, still keeping his right arm wrapped around Ford, turning him around to face the elevator and walking towards it. "We gotta' lot to catch up on, pointdexter!"

Bill rolled his eyes. _Oh, so there's no time to explain Ford's previous state of unconsciousness, but there's enough time to catch up on the story of Fez's life? _Bill sighed, but followed after the two. "Hey, wait for me!" He exclaimed, walking up to the two and walking to the _other_ side of Ford and wrapping his left arm around Ford's neck.

"What's the big deal with the two of you?" Ford questioned. "Did you get drunk or something?" He asked.

Bill and Stan looked at each other with wide eyes, and Stan put his index finger up to his mouth, telling the other not to say a _word_. Bill quickly nodded in agreement and gave a thumbs up. The two men looked forward, their eyes still open wide, when they responded in unison with a, "...No."

Ford rolled his eyes and sighed. _I think I'm going to lose my mind if Soos has gone crazy overnight, too._

When they entered the kitchen, Stan was quick to grab a coffee cup from out of the cabinet and pour a cup of coffee into the mug at a quick pace as Bill grabbed Ford's shoulders and guided him over to a chair, pushing down on his shoulders to make him sit. Ford folded his arms and grunted. "Will someone _please _explain what's going on?" He asked rather impatiently.

"Uh, _duh! _We're glad to have you back!" Bill exclaimed, patting Ford on the head playfully before walking over to the fridge. He opened the fridge door and got out an apple.

Ford watched Bill and noticed the apple in his hand. "Bill, are you sure you want to be eating an apple? The _last _time you ate an apple, you spit it out and got little pieces of blood scattered around the table." He stated, looking at the demon blankly.

Stan scoffed under his breath in disgust. "Yeah, thanks for sharing, Pointdexter." He commented. Ford rolled his eyes and accepted the cup of coffee given to him by his brother. He took a sip of the coffee and gave an approving smile to the taste.

"Who cares? Blood is cool." Bill stated, snickering. Stan and Ford looked at each other, then at Bill. The demon noticed eyes on him and shrugged innocently. "What? _My _blood is cool. I mean, I don't know about you humans, but _mine _is pretty awesome." He admitted with a smirk.

Ford sighed. "Bill, _you're _human." He reminded.

"Ugh, don't remind me." Bill commanded with a scoff. Stan smirked and Ford rolled his eyes, chuckling softly as he took another sip of his coffee.

Stan folded his arms and looked at Bill. "Hey, how's about a game of poker later?" He offered. "It _is_ Christmas eve after all, might as well celebrate, Eh?"

_Time has gone by suspiciously fast, how did I lose track of the time so easily? _Ford asked himself, deeply confused.

Bill looked at Stan, then at Ford, then back at Stan. He shrugged. "Sure, sounds fun." He said, running a hand through his hair. "You sure you're up for _losing _again, fez?" He asked jokingly with a smirk.

Stanley just glared. "_Hey, _that was just beginners luck. Tell me I'm wrong,_ demon._" He shot back.

"You're wrong." Bill stated with a smirk. He walked over to the counter near the coffee maker, snickering.

Stan grunted and sighed. "I'll be back." He announced, and Bill waved his fingers dismissively at the man in a mocking manner.

Ford downed the rest of his coffee and stood up to wash the mug. He walked over to the sink and turned the faucet on as Bill got a coffee mug from out of the cabinet. "You should have _seen _me beat Stan at poker, Sixer." He stated with a sly smile.

Stanford looked over at the other as he grabbed a rag from the counter. "Oh yeah?"

"Yeah," Bill repeated with a smirk. "I _ruled _at that game. I mean, I _destroyed _your brother." He continued. "Like, I literally _demolished _him-" He continued, bragging, when a loud voice shouted from another room.

"Rub it in, will ya'?" Stan shouted, exclaiming in annoyance. Bill snickered at the reaction and read the words on the coffee mug, chuckling at the joke.

Ford laughed, and heard Stan growling at his reaction from the other room. Ford put a hand over his mouth to avoid sounding rude, and shook his head, holding back laughter. Bill looked at the man and smiled. Ford walked over to the cabinet beside Bill and put the mug away as Bill grabbed the glass coffee piece.

Ford stood behind Bill and put his hands on both sides of the counter. Bill looked behind him for a moment and saw the other man. He raised an eyebrow at the action, and Ford looked into his eyes with a small smile. "We can push aside the work on the device until later if you're going to play a game. I need to fix a few things on it first, anyway." Ford offered.

Bill shrugged. "Sounds good to me." He commented, turning his head back around in front of him and looking down as he poured the coffee into his mug.

Ford nodded and chuckled. "Alright then." He said, and gave Bill a quick kiss on the cheek before walking away to leave the room.

Bill's eyes widened at the action given by the other, and he stopped pouring his coffee, turning around with his hands on his hips. "Hey!" He called out to the other man with a glare.

Ford stopped to look at the other. "Yes?" He asked, holding onto the doorframe.

"What the hell was that?" Bill asked with force in his voice, a clear scowl on his face.

Stanford raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What was what?" He asked, confused.

Bill rolled his eyes and glared at the other. "You just... you just _kissed _me!" He exclaimed, letting his arms fall to his sides, balling them up into fists.

Ford nodded slowly. "Uhm.. yes, I did. Is that a problem?" He asked the other. _What happened to him..? _Ford asked himself.

The demon looked up at the ceiling and sighed obnoxiously. "What is _wrong _with you this morning?" He asked Ford, putting his arms out in front of him.

Stanford folded his arms and leaned against the doorframe. "I was going to ask you and Stan the same thing!" He stated. "All morning you've both seemed much... _happier _to see me. It's quite unusual and I'm not quite understanding this situation."

Bill groaned and rolled his eyes. "Of course you arent! You're an old man who could literally _die _any second! Screw being 92, I wouldn't be surprised if you died at 70!" He shot at the man with a glare, turning around pouring the rest of his coffee, the scowl still plastered on his face.

Ford took a step back, a look of hurt on his face. His mouth was slightly open as he processed the insult. _How could he say something like that? Especially After how we've treated each other throughout the month, after all that's happened... how?_ Ford shook the thought away and glared back at the other man, storming out of the kitchen without another word.

Bill downed half his coffee in one breath, and slammed the mug down on the counter in annoyance, sighing and shaking his head. _What planet is that guy on? _He asked himself. _Just... going up and kissing me like that? Where does he think he is? _Bill rolled his eyes and glared down at his coffee, putting his elbows on the counter as he sunk his face into his hands.

He shook his head and bit his lip. _Maybe I overreacted. _He thought to himself. He sighed and grabbed his coffee cup, taking another long, slow sip. _Okay yeah, I might have overreacted, but come on! Since when does someone just do that with no context? He doesn't even...-_

And then it hit him.

_Does he..? _

_Could he ever..? _

_No, that would be impossible. _Bill told himself, scoffing. _Stop being ridiculous, Bill. _

* * *

"Hey, what's the word, Pointdexter?" Stan asked, taking his eyes off the TV screen. "You wanna join us in poker later?"

Ford shrugged and bit his lip. "Not likely" He said. He looked over in the corner and noticed a box filled with Christmas lights, and a bubble-wrapped tree in the corner of the room, yet to be put up. "Stanley, do you need help with the Christmas decorations?" He asked.

"Ya' sure you can handle it?" Stan asked his brother. "I mean, you're not exactly a teenager anymore." He reminded.

Ford rolled his eyes. "I'll be fine. Do you have a ladder?" He asked.

Stan looked away for a moment, then back at Ford. He chuckled awkwardly. "Well, uh..," He began. "..No."

Stanford raised an eyebrow. "Wh-?" He began to ask, but remembered that Stan had a _major_ fear of heights.

Stan shook his head, putting his hands out and waving them in front of him. "Don't you ask why, sixer. I already know what you're thinkin'. Don't bother asking, because I got over my fear of heights a _long_ time ago." He stated, folding his arms. "And besides, I was gonna have Soos put the stuff up today, but-"

"I can do it." Ford stated with a nod of his head. "Let Soos take the day off. You know, spend some time with his girlfriend." He said with a shrug and small smile. "What was her name..?" He muttered, folding his arms and looking down at the floor, trying to remember the name of the girl.

"Melody." Stan informed.

Ford snapped his fingers and nodded. "Right, that was it." He said and chuckled. "Well, I'll be back." He said. "I might start with hanging some of the Christmas lights by the kitchen and the doorframe."

Stan rolled his eyes. "Write me a book about your plans, while you're at it." He said with a snicker.

Ford shrugged. "Journal 4? Look out, I just may write one." He informed half-sarcastically, and watched as Stanley stood up from the couch. Stan left the living room, and Ford entered through the _Employee's __only_ door to go down to the lab.

Stanley walked over towards the kitchen, looking around inside and noticing Bill _still _by the coffee pot, downing a half cup in one breath. Stan raised an eyebrow. "Woah there, how much of that coffee you been drinkin'?" Stan asked. "The coffee's almost gone."

"Relax, Fez." Bill commanded. "This is only my second cup."

Stan shrugged. "Careful not to get all high on caffeine there, Bill."

Bill nodded, taking another sip and placing his mug beside him on the counter. He leaned against the counter, looking over at the other and folding his arms. "Hey uh, Stan?" He asked. Stan raised an eyebrow, asking him to continue with the eye contact he gave the other. "How come you're being so... _nice _lately?" He asked, a bit suspicious.

Stan shrugged. "Well, I've kinda' noticed you and my brother aren't at each other's throats, so I might as well get used to ya'. And I thought about what you said last month down in the lab once the kids left. I guess I figured, who knows? Maybe you wouldn't be so bad after all." He said with another shrug.

"Like you at poker?" Bill asked, snickering.

Stan glared and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Laugh it off." He said.

Bill nodded. "Oh, I will." He confirmed with a smirk.

"Speakin' of poker," Stan said, scratching the back of his neck. "Care to play a round?" He asked.

Bill nodded. "I guess so, what about Sixer?"

"Eh," Stan began, shrugging, "He volunteered to put up the Christmas decorations. I was gonna have Soos do it but he practically insisted. Never seen my brother so eager to hang up and untangle some lights." He said, shaking his head and chuckling. "But knowing him, he might play some later." Stan added. "Go to the livin' room and sit over by the table, all the poker supplies is still set up from last night." He said.

"Alright." Bill said, chugging the rest of his coffee and placing the mug in the sink.

* * *

Ford came up from out of his lab, his ladder in front of him as he opened the door. He walked over to the kitchen and placed the ladder beside the outside of the door, turning around to go back to the living room for a moment to grab the Christmas lights. During the process, Bill and Stan had already begun their poker game. It wasn't much of a surprise to Stan that Bill already knew how to play poker. It was much easier to just sit down and play, rather than having to explain _everything. _

"Raise." Bill said, looking down at his cards. "200 bucks." He said with a nod of his head.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "You kiddin'?" He asked, surprised.

Bill tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. "I don't joke around when it comes to poker, Fez."

Stanley just grunted. "Call.." He muttered, unsure of his move choices at this point. He felt it would be best to take a risk, it may end up helping him out in the end. Still, Stan was shocked by the raise numbers. _Dam, t__his guy's good._

Bill hummed. "You're a real risk taker." He complimented.

Stanley nodded and smirked. "You should see me in Vegas."

"Don't get too cocky." Bill advised. "If you lose the showdown I have every right to mock you about it." He said.

"Uh huh..," Stan muttered, squinting his eyes as he considered his next move as he watched Bill take his turn.

Bill chuckled as Stan played his next turn. Stan bit his lip at the reaction, afraid that he made a mistake. "So," Bill began. "Did the kids get home fine?" He asked.

Stan nodded. "Yeah, they called the shack the moment they got home." He informed. "Kept askin' a bunch of questions about Ford. They were really worried about 'im. I'm sure they still are since I haven't given an update. They'll feel better when I call to tell em' later today."

Bill shook his head. "Nah, that's not a good idea." He said, still looking down at his cards as he extended his arm slightly in front of him.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Why not? They'll be nothin' but happy to know that he's doin' okay."

"You know what they would like even _more_?" Bill mused. Stan looked up at the other man, a bit curious about the idea. "Why don't you have Fordsy call the kids tomorrow. Why tell them when they can hear him for themselves?" He said with a small smile. "It'd be like some sort of 'Christmas miracle', if that's what you people still call them."

_I never thought of that... _Stan told himself. "Huh..." Stan considered. "That's uh... pretty good idea." He said, scratching his head slightly. Bill nodded, smiling. "I'll ask Pointdexter about it later." He said. "How come you care if they got home or not?"

Bill shrugged at the question. "Dunno, just curious, I guess." He said. He cleared his throat and muttered. "Well, curious about _Mabel, _that is. Dipper...eh." Bill admitted. "He hates my guts, and I still hate his."

"Ya' know, Dipper's not that bad once you get to know the kid," Stan said. "Maybe the two of ya' could get along."

Bill shook his head and squinted his eyes. "I don't see it." He commented, his teeth slightly clenched as he chose his next turn. "You got a girlfriend?" He asked, curious.

"Nope," Stan muttered. "Used to. Even got married once. It all kinda' fell apart." He said with a shrug.

Bill nodded. "Sorry for bringing it up." He said, noticing the small frown on the others face.

Stan waved dismissively. "Ah, don't be. Biggest mistake of my life, anyway." He said. "Hey, what about you? Have you found anyone since you've been... here?"

Bill bit his lip, but shook his head. "Uh, no..." He said in more a whisper.

Stan noticed the behavior and looked at the other man. "What, was it somethin' I said?"

"No, no..," Bill said with a small chuckle. He sighed and looked at Stanley for a moment. "I'm just... afraid, I guess."

Stan smirked, snickering. "Who woulda' thought? _Bill Cipher, _afraid?" He said sarcastically. Bill rolled his eyes and Stan laughed for a moment. "Whaddaya' got to be _afraid _of?" He asked, setting his cards face-down and folding his arm, leaning back in his chair. "This'll be good." He muttered to himself.

"Can I..," Bill began with a sigh. "Can I ask you something?" He asked, looking at Stan once more.

"Shoot." Stan encouraged with a shrug. "Just be straight forward with whatever it is, I don't got all day." He stated in a rather serious tone. He then chuckled. "Who am I kiddin'? I got a few more years."

Bill looked away for a moment, over at the doorframe to make sure Ford wasn't nearby, then back at Stanley. "Does Stanford have any... _crushes?_" He asked, leaning over the table slightly.

Stan shook his head. "Nah, not that I know of. Although he's known to be pretty secretive. Why ya' askin'?" He asked, curious.

"Well," Bill said, taking a deep breath before saying, "I feel like he's... _falling_ for me." He said, biting his lip and looking away.

Stan sat there in silence for a moment, replaying the demon's words in his head. After a moment of silence, he looked over at Bill and burst out laughing, leaning over the table a bit and slamming his fist on the table, unable to control his laughter. He looked up at Bill for a split second which only made him laugh _more. _"Y..._You?" _Stan asked, taking the situation with the least bit of seriousness.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Crazy." He stated with his teeth clenched. "You think I'm crazy." He muttered, shaking his head and looking away, glaring.

Stan shook his head. "Look, uh... Bill," He said, still chuckling in-between his words. "My brother hasn't shown one single sign of having _any _interest in you. Besides, ya' tried to destroy the world. Do ya' really think he's gonna wanna be with you?"

"For over a _month_," Bill began with force in his voice. "He's been talking about a _clean slate. _A fresh start, a new beginning. Tell me I'm wrong, Fez!" He said, glaring at the other.

"You're wrong." Stan stated, smirking. "Sound familiar?"

Bill rolled his eyes once more. He frowned and looked away, biting his lip for what had to be the 100th time. Stan noticed the other's reaction and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, why the long face?" He asked, folding his arms.

"Why should I tell you?" Bill shot back. "All you're gonna do is take it as a joke." He said with a scowl on his face, folding his arms.

Stan shook his head. "Alright, alright. That's enough outta' me. I'll listen." He confirmed with a nod.

"Seriously, Stanley, I think he really _does_ care." Bill said with a shrug. "I have evidence of my own."

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Evidence?"

Bill shook his head and sighed obnoxiously. "Forget it." He stated, deciding to say no more. He tipped his head backwards a bit, looking straight up at the ceiling. "Look at me. One day I'm taking over the universe, and the next I'm talking about my life theories to some old man."

"Hey," Stan shot with a glare. "I'm 15 minutes younger than my brother. Don't you start callin' _me _old."

Bill smirked, and looked at Stan. "Really? I'd raise to 30 bucks if you _completely _forgot we were ever even _playing _poker." He said, folding his arms.

Stan grunted. "Dam." He admitted. _How could I have forgotten?_

"Eh, don't stress it, Fez." Bill said, waving his hand dismissively. "I'm sure you're not the _only _one who forgot." He said with a snicker. "If ya' _did _forget, then you're _probably _not as young as you think you are." He said with an innocent shrug. "Showdown?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Showdown." Stan confirmed, the two flipping their decks over. Bill smirked at his hand and looked over at Stanley's. Stan smirked at _his _hand, and then looked at Bill's. His eyes widened and the result, and Stan exclaimed in the upmost annoyance and fury, standing up from out of his chair and literally yeeting the chips across the table, scattering them around the table, chairs, and floor. "_Come on!" _He shouted, slamming his fist down on the table and groaning obnoxiously.

* * *

Ford was over by the kitchen, on the ladder as he hung up the lights around the doorframe. He took a quick glance over at the front door as the handyman walked into the room. "Good morning, Soos." He greeted, and went right back to hanging up the lights.

"Good morning, Mr. Ford..," Soos greeted back, walking across the room for a short moment before realizing the re-occurrence of the man. "Mr. Ford!" He exclaimed in a mix of confusion and joy. "We missed you!_ I_ missed you!" He exclaimed, walking over to the man and hugging his legs with a smile.

Ford looked down in confusion. _What did he say? And... why is he hugging me like some sort of large panda who had just found a lifetime supply of bamboo? _Ford just raised an eyebrow at the contact. "What did you just say?" He asked, keeping his arms up by the wall as he held the lights he _was _hanging in place.

"I said that I missed you!" Soos said with a smile, taking a step back from the other. "We all did!"

Ford tilted his head in complete confusion. "What are you talking about?" He asked. _Now Soos has gone crazy, too? What happened?_

"Well," Soos said, scratching the back of his neck before explaining, "You were out cold in a slumber for like, a month, dude." He informed, summing it up as best he could.

Ford hung up the last bit of the lights and took a few steps down off the ladder, landing his feet on the floor to match Soos's height. "Wait, a _slumber? _Are you telling me I was _asleep _for a whole _month?_" He asked, putting a hand in his hair, shock on his face.

Soos nodded. "That's correct, dawg."

"How-?" Ford tried. "How is that possible?" He asked. "Was I asleep all at one time? Where was I all that time? How did I get into a situation like that? Who did this?"

Soos put his arms out in front of him. "Woah, I-I'm not sure. I'm probably not the best person to ask about that stuff. If you ask me, you should probably ask Bill, dude." He said, shrugging. Soos really _didn't _know much information, other than what he picked up from the situations he had been in, and the ones that Bill had either dragged him into, or Soos had offered to help with.

Ford nodded slowly, taking a few steps towards the living room. "Thank you, Soos." He said with a nod of his head, walking out of the room and practically storming into the living room.

He walked over to the table in the living room where Bill and Stan were playing another game of poker with his fists clenched, and he slammed one of his hands down on the table with a glare on his face, looking at both of the men. "Would _anyone _care to explain what the _hell _happened to me?" He asked, fury and alarm on his face.

Stanley and Bill looked at each other for a moment, putting their cards down in unison and looking over at Ford. Stan shrugged slightly. "You were asleep for almost a month." He tried to inform.

"I know that!" Ford exclaimed, putting his hands in his hair. "But my question is _why? Why _was I asleep for an entire month? That's not even humanly possible, is it?" Ford knew he sounded angry, and he was, but he was deeply concerned and afraid. _How come the others didn't inform me about this earlier? Were they really just going to act like it never happened? _Stanford looked at Bill and folded his arms. "You..," He muttered. "Did _you _have something to do with this?" He asked the other, raising an eyebrow.

Bill shook his head and put his hands up slightly, showing his innocence. "No, I didn't." He answered truthfully.

Ford took one hand out of his hair and face palmed. "It was all a dream_?_" He asked, mostly to himself. Bill and Stan gave each other confused looks, and looked over at Stanford once more. "It was _all _a _dream?_" He asked again, a bit more force in his voice. He felt so embarrassed,_ no wonder Bill freaked out earlier... _

"Jesus, Stanford. Calm down!" Bill exclaimed, running a hand through his hair as he watched the other trying to process the situation.

"What're you talkin' about?" Stan asked his brother, folding his arms.

Ford shook his head and sighed, looking away and drawing his eyes to the wall. "Forget it." He muttered with his teeth clenched. He walked out of the room, shaking his head once more.

Stan and Bill gave each other another confused look. "What's he talkin' about? What was 'all a dream'?" He asked, shaking his head in confusion.

"Beats me," Bill muttered. "Let him throw his little confusion tantrum. He'll get over it sooner or later." He said with a shrug.

Stan sighed. "I dunno, sounds kinda' serious, don't ya' think?" He asked the other.

Bill nodded slowly. "Well yeah, but Sixer is smart, I'm sure he'll end up figuring it out on his own." He said. With that, Stan shrugged and the two picked up their cards once more, continuing their game.

Ford walked over to the kitchen and stepped back on the ladder, hanging the rest of the lights around the frame. _I can't believe this... How did this happen? It seemed so real. _Ford scoffed at his own thoughts and rolled his eyes, shaking his head. _Oh, who am I kidding? Now that I think about it, that illusion didn't seem real at all... it felt so unreal that I assumed it really was real. What in the world could have caused this state of mind?_

"Are you okay, Mr. Ford?" Soos asked, walking out of the kitchen to look at Ford.

Stanford jumped slightly at the scare and put a hand on his heart. "Oh," He said, looking at Soos, getting out of his thoughts after the scare. "Yes, I'm fine." He assured, sighing at how _easily _he had been scared by the handyman. "Soos, you do realize you can go home for the day, right? It's your day off, and I offered to take your job of hanging the decorations. You really don't have to stay today unless you really insist on it." He said with a shrug.

"Really?" Soos asked, tilting his head.

Ford looked at the handyman and nodded, giving a small smile. He looked down at the Christmas supplies and grabbed a new strand of lights. "Really." He confirmed.

Soos shrugged. "I don't know what I'm going to do," He admitted. "Dipper and Mabel are who I hang out with throughout the day, and they left while you were in your sleep."

Ford nodded and sighed. "I really wish I would have been there to see the kids leave," He said. "Who knows when they'll be here next. By the sounds of it, their parents weren't very thrilled about letting them stay for Thanksgiving break after everything that happened this summer." Ford said, and took a few steps off the ladder. He picked up the ladder and moved it over towards the staircase to hand the lights across the railing. "I can't help but think I'm the reason Dipper and Mabel's parents were so startled." He said with a shrug.

"That must have been hard, dude." Soos said. "Are you sure you don't want any help with the lights?" He asked, changing the subject.

"I'll be fine." Ford confirmed. "If I may ask, how is Melody doing?"

"Oh, Melody?" Soos said with a small chuckle. "She's uh.., she's doing better." He said with a smile.

Ford nodded. "What, did she have an injury that she recovered from?" He asked as he decided between two different light strands to hang up.

Soos shook his head. "No, she's just been under a lot of pressure recently. We both are, actually.." He said, scratching the back of his neck and chuckling awkwardly.

Stanford questioned the behavior for a moment, but decided not to ask, as it wasn't any of his business. "Well, I hope things get better for both of you." He said with a smile. "Which lights do you think would go better with the railing?" Ford asked, holding a pair of multi-colored lights in one hand, and gold with white ones in the other.

Soos hummed for a moment, looking at the two. "Multi-colors," He said with a nod of his head. "If you think about it, they can resemble multiple personalities, and multiple different ways a person could react in their future. Like a baby." He said. He thought over how he had put his explanation and looked away in remorse.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the long, but welcomed, explanation by the other. "Good choice." Ford said with a shrug, turning around and extending part of the light strand.

"You know..," Soos began. "I think I'll go home. I really should be with my family on Christmas eve." He said. With that, he walked over to the front door, clutching the door handle and looking back at Ford. _That's the longest conversation we've had... ever! _Soos chuckled and gave a small wave. "Goodbye, Mr. Ford." Soos said.

Ford looked over at Soos and waved. "Please, call me Ford." He said with a small smile. "I'm not all about the fancy titles, unlike my brother Stanley is."

Soos nodded quickly at the request. "Will do!" He said, and opened the front door to leave. He closed the door and was quick to head over to his car. He got into his car and shut the truck door. Soos grabbed the wheel with one hand, and took out his phone from the other. He was quick to dial Melody's phone number.

The ringer rang a couple times in the silent car. Soos held his phone up to his ear and waited for his girlfriend to pick up the phone. He smiled when he heard her greeting from the other line.

"Oh, hey Melody!" Soos said with a smile. "I don't have to work at the Mystery Shack today, so I can come home. How are you doing?"

_"That's great, Soos!" _Melody said over the phone, chuckling._ "I'm surprised Stan didn't want to keep you there, especially on Christmas eve." _

Soos nodded, even though no one else was around him. "Well, he seemed pretty busy with a poker game. I guess he closed the shop today because he figured not many people would show up, I don't know." He said with a shrug.

"_Anyway, when you get back to Abuelita's house, do you think you could give me a ride to the doctor's office? The next appointment is scheduled for today." _Melody informed.

"Oh man, that was today?" Soos asked, putting a hand in his hair. He heard Melody's confirmation over the phone. He bit his lip, but nodded. "O-of course I will! Isn't this where we find out..?" He asked, slowing his words towards the end.

_"Yeah. Do you have any name suggestions for either genders? I know it's pretty early, but it might be better if we begin to decide a bit earlier in the process."_ Melody advised.

"No, none right now." Soos admitted. "I'm gonna hang up and get on the road." He said. Melody responded to the goodbye and the two hung up. Soos sighed and couldn't help but give a small smile. Ever since he came out about the situation to Dipper and Mabel, he had felt a lot better about becoming a father. He started up his car and was quick to leave the shack's driveway, beginning to drive off.

* * *

Stan growled in annoyance and ran a hand through his hair as Bill took a large pile of Chipackerz to the other side of the table, popping one into his mouth with a smirk. "Aw come on!" Stan complained, standing up and putting his arms in front of him. "That's the third time today!" He stated with a defeated look on his face.

"Fourth," Bill corrected, stuffing a few more Chipackerz into his mouth. "Thefs tafste jus' 'ike chips." He commented, his mouth filled with the food.

Stan rolled his eyes. "And I thought I was good..." He muttered, folding his arms. He put a smile on his face and shrugged dismissively. "Alright, It'll be gettin' dark outside in a couple of hours. How's about we all make some sugar cookies, eh?" He asked, shrugging.

Bill raised a eyebrow. "What? Why?" He asked, half-complaining.

"No way outta' this. I'm draggin' Ford into this too, so you won't be the only miserable one." Stan stated, laughing.

Bill rolled his eyes, and grabbed a handful of Chipackerz before Stan dragged him by his T-shirt collar out of the living room. Stanley looked around the room and looked to his left, looking at Stanford as he was finishing up hanging the Christmas lights on the stair railing. "Hey, pointdexter!" Stan hollered, causing Ford to jump in surprise, his eyes widened.

"Stanley, what's wrong with y-?" Ford began, but was interrupted by his brother.

"Come on Stanford, we're makin' some sugar cookies, just like Ma used to back when we were kids." Stan said, informing him on the situation that he was being dragged into unwillingly.

Ford sighed, but nodded. "You go ahead, Stan. I still need to finish the rest of these lights first-"

"Nope!" Stan said, shaking his head. He grabbed Ford with his other free hand by his turtleneck, the strand of lights unraveling as Stanford was being dragged off to the kitchen.

Ford exclaimed in alarm when he stumbled, nearly tumbling to the floor. He jumped as he was being dragged to the kitchen, quickly trying to get the lights off his ankle that had tangled around him as he had been hanging them on the stairs. He successfully freed himself from the lights just in time, and Stan pushed both Bill and Ford in front of him into the kitchen.

"Stan, do you think you could be a _little _more careful?" Bill complained. "I lost my Chipackerz on your little journey to collect us."

"You ate them." Stan said, putting his hands on his hips. "I ain't fallin' for that." He stated.

"Stanley, '_ain't' _is not a word." Ford stated, putting his hands behind his back. "Try learning some proper grammar. For instance-"

"Yeah, yeah," Stan said, rolling his eyes. "Let's just get to making some cookies." He said, walking over to the cupboard to grab a cookbook.

"Watch out, fez," Bill advised. "I just might poison them." He said with a sly smirk.

Stan scoffed and tilted his head. "Where could you even find poison around here?" He asked. Bill and Stan stood in silence for a few seconds, and then looked over at Ford, knowing the clear answer to Stan's foolish question.

Ford put his hands up slightly, an innocent look on his face. "All of the dangerous chemicals that I use in my work are _thoroughly _stashed away at all times when they are not in use." He stated, folding his arms.

"Yeah," Bill mused. "It'd be a _real shame _if someone just... _happened _to get into that safe using its set combination down in the lab." He said with puppy eyes. Stanford raised an eyebrow at the words, and Bill pulled out a small vial from his back pocket. He held it up for Ford to see with an innocent smile on his face. "Oh, lookie here!" He said, tilting his head to the side and looking at the other man with a smirk on his face.

"Bill," Ford began with a firm voice. "How did you get that?"

"With my hands." Bill said.

"When did you get that vial?" Ford asked.

"That one time." Bill answered.

Ford rolled his eyes. "What were you intending to use it for?"

"Dunno." Bill said with a shrug.

"And how did you get into my safe?" Ford asked.

"With my hands." Bill said once more.

"_Bill!"_ Ford exclaimed, putting a hand in his hair and clenching his fists.

The demon laughed at the other's reaction, and held the bottle out, pointing to the liquid inside. "Relax, Sixer!" Bill said, still snickering. "It's just an old bottle containing a mix of my own creation, Vodka with a dash of Mabel juice!" He said, putting a hand on his hip.

Ford sighed in relief, and Stan laughed mockingly. "Gosh, pointdexter! That reaction was _priceless!" _He commented with a snicker.

"It's a _concerned_ reaction, Stanley." Ford stated, folding his arms. "And for your information, I-"

"Yeah, yeah," Stan blurted out. "Let's make some cookies." He said yet again.

Bill nodded and pointed at Stan. "Yeah, yeah. What he said." Bill opened the vial and put the container up to his mouth to drink the liquid, and Ford was quick to take a step forward towards Bill, grabbing the bottle and pulling it out of his hand, away from the other just before the substance could hit Bill's tongue. Bill looked over at the other man in confusion, not really caring about how close they were.

"Did you wash this container before putting the liquid inside it?" Ford asked.

Bill shook his head. "No."

"Was there a substance _inside _the vial _before _you used it?" Stanford asked once more.

Bill nodded. "Yeah. I dumped it out, though. No biggie." He said with a dismissive shrug.

Ford looked at Bill for a moment, and then walked over to the sink, dumping out the substance that was in the bottle and turning on the water, grabbing some dish soap to wash the vial. Bill looked at the action and gave a glare. "Hey, what'd you do _that _for?" He asked, walking up beside Ford and complaining.

"If there was a substance in this, and you simply dumped it out, who knows how dangerous it could be. It wouldn't be very smart to drink from this." Ford informed, looking at the other.

Bill rolled his eyes but smiled, resting his arm on the other's shoulder. "Well, well," He said. "Look at Fordsy _actually _caring about my safety." He joked.

"Stopping you is better than you ending up in the hospital." Ford stated.

Bill walked away from the other with no other words, looking at Stanley as he got a couple of cookie sheets. Stan looked at Bill for a split second, then back at the cookbook beside him. "You know how to measure stuff?" Stan asked Bill.

The other shrugged. "How hard could it be?" Bill asked.

"Eh," Stan said, unsure of himself. "I still get em' wrong sometimes." He admitted. Stan looked over at the cookbook, reading over the list of ingredients. "Alright, we need some flour." He said. "We can get the other stuff later."

Ford looked over at Stan and dried his hands, walking over to the counter and standing beside his brother. "Stan, might I give a suggestion?" He asked. Stan just shrugged, and Stanford continued, "It's better to grab all of your ingredients _beforehand_ for a lower probability of forgetting something."

"I might be dumb, but I'm not stupid, pointdexter." Stan stated, looking at his brother and putting his hands on his hips.

"That has nothing to do with it, Stanley," Ford said, "I lost count of how many times I've forgotten something in a recipe when I hadn't gathered all of the ingredients." He said with a chuckle. "Back in college I would _always _forget the salt. For some odd reason..." Ford said, muttering the end. "So, I began to lay out all of my ingredients before I began to bake something, and it helped me severely." He said with a nod of his head.

"Alright, alright," Stan said. "You wanna do it _your _fancy way, you can get the stuff while I preheat the oven." He said, walking over towards said oven.

Ford just nodded, and raised his arm up to open the cupboard above him. He looked up in the cupboard, looking for the vanilla. Bill snickered and lifted up the man's sweater partway, just enough so that he could poke his belly button. "Poke." He blurted out with a snicker. Ford looked down at the other and pulled his sweater down, looking at Bill and giving him a blank look. Bill rolled his eyes. "Jeez, Sorry." He said, folding his arms and pouting.

Stan preheated the oven as Ford got the flour and the vanilla. Ford looked over at Bill and asked him to get two eggs. As Bill got the eggs from the fridge, Ford grabbed a glass bowl from the cupboard, placing it on the counter in front of him. Bill got two eggs and walked over to the glass bowl, tossing the eggs straight into the bowl without bothering to crack them. Park of the yolk began to leak out of the slightly cracked shells. Bill looked over at the other for a moment, afraid he made a mistake. Ford immediately looked at Bill for a short moment, just staring, before he began bursting out laughing.

Ford took the eggs and put them in a small measuring cup beside him, cracking both the eggs correctly and putting them in the cup, making sure none of the egg shells were mixed in with the liquid. Bill saw a small shell inside the small puddle of egg yolk that had leaked into the bowl, and picked it out, flinging it at the wall in front of him carelessly.

Stanford took the measuring cup and put it in the fridge. "We'll use this shortly." He informed. Bill just nodded. The two grabbed the rest of the ingredients as Stan got the rest of the measuring supplies. Ford pulled up his sleeves and the three looked down at the cookbook.

Stan pointed at the beginning instructions, reading the instructions. Aware of the task needed to be done, the three got to work. Bill took hold of the flour bag and made sense of the amount needed. At the same time, Ford got down on one knee, looking at a measuring cup at a flat angle for the most accurate results. He poured the liquids needed at a slow pace, squinting his eyes as he poured. Once he had a good measurement, Bill called out his name. "Hey, Sixer!" Bill exclaimed with a smirk. Ford looked at the other man and was quick to close his eyes frantically as Bill clapped his hands together roughly, flour sprinkling around his hands and on Ford's face.

Stan looked over and laughed mockingly as Ford stood up, shaking his head and smiling. He removed a majority of the flour from his face with his hand. Bill smirked and put one of his elbows on the counter, leaning on it as he spoke, "Ever heard of 'think fast'?" He joked.

"Have you?" Stan asked. Bill raised an eyebrow and jolted his hands in front of his face as Stanley chucked a ice cold rag at his face.

Bill exclaimed in alarm, smacking the towel away from him as a shiver went up his spine. "_Stan!" _Bill complained, folding his arms.

"That's _cold, _Stanley..." Ford said. Bill shot Ford a glare, unsure if he was smirking at the way he was oh-so-brutally _attacked, _or the way he had used a pun oh-so-brutally _smooth. _

"Don't worry pointdexter, I got one for you, too." Stan said with an innocent look on his face before chucking another rag at his brother. Ford quickly ducked before the towel could hit him, and he sighed in relief. Ford didn't think to look at Bill until the demon had thrown his towel over at Ford from the side. Bill laughed mockingly at his reaction to the surprise attack

The cookies took about an hour and a half in total before they came out of the oven- due to all of the unexpected goofing around- and in the end, the three men were quite satisfied with how they were turning out. Ford opened the oven when they were done, his oven mits on. He grabbed the tray from out of the oven and backed out slowly. "Watch out," He advised, closing the oven with his leg. "They're _extremely _hot."

"Quit statin' the obxious, Sixer." Stan said, folding his arms. Ford rolled his eyes and placed the sheet on the counter.

Bill hummed and squinted his eyes at the cookies. "They're missing something..." He said. Bill pointed his index finger out at the cookie sheet and lit the cookies on fire, sparking blue flames atop the cookies. Stan and Ford looked at the tray in alarm.

"What the hell?" Stan exclaimed.

"It's fine! I've got it under control." Bill assured. He clenched his fist, hoping that the fire would burn out on command. To his surprise, it was no use. _Crap! This worked last week when I lit that snow globe in the gift shop on fire! _Bill looked at the tray that was still burning blue flames before his eyes, and he bit his lip in panic. "Uh..!" He blurted out, unsure of what to do to stop it.

Stanford noticed the look of fear on the others face, and stepped in to assist. "Back away!" He commanded, putting an arm out to keep Bill a safe distance away.

Bill did as told and took a few steps back. He put his hands in his hair with a remorseful look on his face. "Aw, crap!" He exclaimed, face palming and clenching his teeth together. _Bill Cipher, you're officially turning into a certified idiot. _He thought to himself.

Ford looked around the room cautiously, speeding over to the counter to grab a spare cookie tray that hadn't been used. He grabbed the extra tray and flipped it face-down, walking over to the fire and placing the trays atop each other to limit the oxygen inside, holding the sides of the tray just in case.

Stan sighed in relief, and Ford lifted the top tray, backing away slowly. Bill looked at the tray and bit his lip. "Well," He began at a slow pace. "_Now _they're extremely hot." He said, chuckling awkwardly. Stanley looked at Bill and and rolled his eyes.

Luckily, the cookies hadn't been completely burnt, just a bit rough around the edges (literally.) As the three waited for the cookies to cool down, they began to prepare icing. Making the icing didn't take long to make, but it dried on the cookies in a quick amount of time. They decorated the cookies with icing, and put some sprinkles on top to add a bit more color. Bill, however, took a handful of chocolate sprinkles from a container and and dumped the entirety of what was in his hand onto his cookie, covering the cookie and a few around him completely in sprinkles. He picked up the cookie and pouted when the majority of the sprinkles fell off the cookie.

Stan looked at the cookie Bill had made and tilted his head. "You sprinkle them on top. Ya' don't pour half the sprinkles on a cookie, knucklehead."

"It's my cookie," Bill stated. "Maybe I like chocolate sprinkles!" He said, putting his hands on his hips. Ford looked over at the cookie and just chuckled. "In fact," Bill mused, taking the rest of the plastic container containing the chocolate sprinkles in his hand and pouring the rest of them on another cookie beside him. "I _love _chocolate sprinkles." He said with a smirk.

"I guess I'm headin' to town to get more chocolate sprinkles," Stan muttered, standing up from the table.

Stanford raised an eyebrow. "Stan, you really don't have to-" He began, but stopped when Stan put a hand up.

"Nah, I need some stuff anyway. I'll be back in an hour." Stan announced, leaving the kitchen to go up to his room and find a jacket.

Bill watched the man leave and shrugged, grabbing the pink sprinkle shaker and shaking a few atop his cookie.

Once Stanley had left the house, silence filled every room. Bill and Ford continued to decorate, but they weren't exactly speaking. The silence was beginning to get on Bill's nerves, and he sighed obnoxiously as he tipped his head back. "I'm gonna put on some music." He said, and Ford shrugged.

Bill turned the radio on, and Ford was surprised at the one he had chosen. "I thought you weren't in to new music." He said, as he coated another cookie with icing.

"Nah, I just don't like that high-pitched stuff that you'd see in some movie about high school crushes and stuff." Bill said.

"Songs related to that play once and a while on this station, would you like me to change it?" Ford asked, turning around to look at the other.

Bill shook his head. "Nah, It's fine."

"Suit yourself." Ford said with a shrug. Bill sat back down into his chair and coated a cookie with icing before selecting a new sprinkle shaker. The two continued to decorate cookies for a few minutes until Ford stood up to walk to the fridge. He looked in the refrigerator and grabbed a Pitt soda, opening it up and taking a sip.

Bill tilted his head. "I thought you hated those drinks. Didn't you say something about the ingredients list?"

Ford shrugged. "Well, as much as I don't care for what they put in these, they're okay to have once and a while, I suppose." He said, walking out of the room without another word. Bill just shrugged and went back to decorating.

When Ford walked into the living room, there was a Christmas tree in the corner, across from the couch and beside the Television. Ford sat down on the carpet between the tree and the TV, looking at the lights on the tree and smiling. _It's nice to have Christmas in this dimension again, after all the years of waiting. _Stanford recalled a time where he celebrated Christmas in another dimension, and all of the trees were made of snakes. Whenever you attempted to apply an ornament onto the tree, the snakes would either fling it off or slide out of it, making it nearly impossible to put on an ornament.

He looked down at the bottom of the tree and noticed one of the ornaments had fallen off the tree. Ford leaned over to grab the red decoration, and placed it back on the tree towards the bottom so that he wouldn't have to stand up. He looked at the Christmas tree once more and took a sip of his soda, looking at the lights and smiling. He felt more at peace without the people around him yelling. It was nice to look around at the decor that you would only see one month a year, glistening against the light with music playing in the background.

Ford heard one song from the kitchen ending, and smiled when the next came on. He had listened to some recent music since he had come back from the portal, and he preferred the pop music over all of the rap nearly everyone else in Gravity Falls was listening to. However, the music from his younger days has always had a special place in his heart. His mother's music taste was rather wide, as he remembered it. She would listen to music ranging from slow love songs to hip hop, even to heavy metal. His father Filbrick, however, never had much of an interest in music at all. Stanford was lucky he got his music enjoyment from his mother rather than his father.

The next song that came on the radio was a song from his childhood, the reason that he had smiled when he heard the beginning notes. He remembered studying to it when he was younger one late Tuesday night. It had played on the radio often back then, as it was a huge hit. The song was called Can't help falling in love, a song that Ford hadn't heard in years. It was really nice to have finally heard the song once more after so long, it reminded him of his earlier days when he was back in high school.

He waited for the lyrics to begin. It had only been around 8 seconds, but it felt longer. _So _much longer. He hummed the first line as it played.

_Wise men say..._

Just as the next line began to play, Bill walked into the living room with a white plate in hand, a few cookies on it. Ford took a quick glance at the other, then turned his head away, looking across from him at the couch. He frowned a bit, sure that the song would be interrupted by a conversation.

_Only fools rush in... _

Bill walked over to the other, sitting down beside him to the point where their shoulders were nearly touching. He looked left at the tree for a split second before drawing his eyes to Stanford. "Cookie?" He offered, extending his arm and putting the plate in front of the other.

_But I can't help falling in love with you..._

"Thanks." Ford muttered, grabbing a round cookie and taking a bite. He looked away, over at the table from across the living room where Stan and Bill had played their games of poker earlier in the day.

_Shall I stay? Would it be a sin? _

Bill nodded and sighed, biting his lip. "I'm sorry..." He said with a frown.

_If I can't help falling in love with you... _

Ford shrugged dismissively. "Oh, I wouldn't stress it. I know you weren't _trying_ to burn down the house or anything-"

_Like a river flows,_

"That's not what I'm talking about." Bill stated, looking at Ford.

_Surely to the sea, _

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Then what _are _you talking about?" He asked, taking a sip of his Pitt soda.

_Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be. _

"I mean I'm... sorry for freaking out earlier, and then being a complete jerk about it." Bill said, looking down at the floor and placing the plate atop the carpet.

_Take my hand, take my whole life too... _

Ford just shrugged, chuckling. "That's okay, Bill." He assured. "You were correct. I was _completely _out of line, and if anything I owe _you _an apology."

_For I can't help falling in love with you... _

There was a slight moment of silence before Bill looked at Ford. "Why did you do it?" He asked.

_Like a river flows, _

Ford exhaled slowly before answering. "Well," He began.

_Surely to the sea, _

"That whole _illusion _I was in for the entirety of this month messed with my head." Stanford said.

_Darling so it goes, some things are meant to be._

Bill nodded as Ford continued, "It made me believe that what was happening was reality." He informed the other.

_Take my hand... _

"And?" Bill questioned, looking at the other.

_Take my whole life too.. _

"And, it tricked me to believe things that weren't actually real and that had never really happened." Stanford continued. Bill nodded and looked over at the tree.

_For I can't help falling in love with you... _

Ford shrugged and looked down at the carpet. "I suppose I finally woke up, only to realize it was all a_ lie. _A dream. It was all... a _dream._" He said, continuing to look down at the carpet, feeling his heart shatter as he spoke the words.

_For I... _

There was yet another moment of silence, and Bill looked over at Ford. He took a deep breath, and shrugged slightly. "Maybe... it doesn't _have_ to be." He said.

_Can't help..._

Ford looked at Bill with his eyes open wide, noticing the other's serious facial expression. His heart began racing as Bill leaned over towards him slowly, making eye contact as he inched closer and closer.

_Falling in love... _

The two closed their eyes as their lips kneaded passionately against each other in a slow and meaningful kiss.

_With you..._


	25. Catching up

**I hope you guys enjoyed the last chapter, and its ending. (;**

**I wasn't sure about putting the song lyrics at the end of the last chapter, but how I was imagining the scene in my head I figured it would help paint the picture, if that makes any sense. I hope they weren't annoying or anything, and if they are just tell me and I'll do something about it (:**

**The song playing in the last chapter was originally going to be 'Lover' by Taylor Swift, I literally had the scene planned out in my head for MONTHS. Like, since _Halloween! _Then, when I was FINALLY writing the chapter, I realized that the song didn't come out in the timeline that this story is set in. If I'm not mistaken, the year in the show was 2013, according to the _Boys Crazy _episode. So, I just decided to go with a classic instead. **

**Without further ado, let's get into chapter 28! (And some pure Billford cuteness!)**

Ford grabbed Bill's wrist to take the hand that was resting on his cheek away. He pushed the hand away gently and turned his head from the other, a look of remorse on his face. Even though Bill had encouraged the action, Stanford still felt like _he _had done wrong. He looked down at the carpet and began apologizing. "I'm sorry..," He said. "I'm so, _so _sorry..." He continued, shaking his head as he rambled.

Bill just rolled his eyes. "Aw, toughen up, Sixer." He commanded, folding his arms and looking at the other. "It's not like you did anything wrong." He said. Ford sighs and looks at Bill, listening to the other. "Want me to be honest about something?" Bill asked.

"Honesty is key." Ford muttered with a shrug.

Bill nods and smirks, looking at the other. "I kinda liked it." He said, shrugging his shoulders innocently afterwards.

Stanford looked away from the other once more. He ran a hand through his hair, sighing as he adjusted his glasses. He wasn't sure how to respond to a statement like that. What was he _supposed _to say? How was he _supposed _to react? Whatever questions he came to ask himself, he didn't know the answer. He looked forward and blurted out the most_ pathetic thing_ he had heard all day. "Oh."

Bill looked at him with squinted eyes. "You okay?" He asked. "You look traumatized. Did I do something?"

Ford shook his head. "No, you didn't." He assured.

Bill shrugged, looking at the other, uncertain. "Are you sure? I feel like I did something to make you all silent. Is it just the fact that I kissed you in general, or did I do something wrong during-"

"_No, _Bill. You're _fine._" Ford stated, a small scowl on his face. "It's not you."

"Then what is it?" Bill asked.

Ford shrugged. "That's the problem; I don't know. I just... feel like this isn't right." He said, sighing.

Bill nodded in agreement. "I've hurt you. No matter how much we try and forget about it, no matter how much we believe this 'clean slate' thing, the fact that I hurt you so emotionally in the past _won't _change." He said with a frown. "But," He continued. "If you _know _that I've changed, and if _I _know that _I've _changed, maybe your family can start to see that, too." Bill assumed. He looked away, the frown reappearing on his face. "I just don't see how you could even _consider _loving someone like myself." He admitted.

"Because you _have _changed, Bill." Ford began once more, turning to look at the other man. "If someone would have told me a couple months ago that any of this would happen, and that I would end up... catching feelings of _any sort_, I wouldn't have believed them for a _split_ second. But I've_ seen_ you change. I've seen a _tremendous_ change in the Bill Cipher we were all once threatened by in the past. I've seen it for myself." Ford said, looking at the other with a sincere look on his face.

The words spoken hit Bill hard. It actually felt _nice _to know that the other had learned to forgive him like this. _Dam these human emotions... _He thought to himself. Bill looked at Ford for a moment before wrapping his arms around his neck, resting his head atop Ford's warm chest and sighing. He closed his eyes, muttering under his breath. "Would it be so weird if I said I love you?" Bill asked, his eyes fluttering shut.

Ford looked down at the other man and gave a small smile. He could feel the blush on his face growing. But for the very first time, he_ didn't care_. What was happening at this moment seemed much more real to him than his dream. _I'm glad I'm back in reality. Who knows what could have happened had I not woken up. This whole illusion topic is getting confusing. I just wish I had more information to go off of for my research._ Ford thought to himself. _Maybe I've dealt with something similar before... It might be a good idea to look through some older files just in case. _

There were so many questions Ford wanted to ask the other. _How long? How long have you felt this way? What changed your mind on my personality in general? Were you ever planning to tell me beforehand? _"Multiple logical questions filled his head, but he shook them away. He didn't want to ask a load of questions and disturb the other man, no matter how _badly _he wanted to know the answers. Instead, he just sighed, still smiling. He put his hand on Bill's head, ruffling his hair gently and responding to the other's statement. "Love is the best type of weird." He muttered back.

Bill looked up at the man for a moment before the two locked their lips together once more, not a hint of regret between either of them this time. Bill sat up straight and tightened his grip around the others neck gently, getting closer to Ford and deepening the kiss. Bill crawled up in front of the other, sitting atop his lap as the action continued for a good while longer.

The two weren't exactly sure what time it was; it seemed as if they had lost track of time during the moment. When the two pulled away, Bill laid his head atop Ford's shoulder, and Ford did the same. Bill smiled, a _true _smile, wrapping his arms around the other's torso. Ford didn't know exactly how to react, so he opted to return the gesture. He closed his eyes and let a small smile appear on his face.

Neither Bill nor Ford had noticed that there was someone watching them. The person standing at the doorframe with an awkward look on her face was none other than Wendy Corduroy. She had her arms folded and her head tilted, awkwardly saying, "Uh... Stanford?"

Ford kept his eyes closed, not really engaging in the situation. What he said came out in more of a mutter. "The shop is closed today. You can go home, Wendy..." He said, sighing. It took him a moment of process to realize just _who _he was speaking to.

In just half a second, his eyes shot open wide.

"Wendy!" Ford exclaimed, quickly sitting up straight and immediately looking at the teenager.

Bill opened his eyes slightly, leaning back a bit to look Stanford in the eyes. "Huh?" He questioned, confused.

Ford leaned over towards Bill's ear, whispering, "She doesn't know you're here."

"How the hell does she not know-" Bill began, but was stopped mid-sentence when Ford put a finger up to the others lips. Bill just folded his arms, looking away and glaring at the ground at how easily he had been silenced.

"Uhm..," Ford began. He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled awkwardly. _Dammit..._ He thought to himself. He opened his mouth to speak, only to end up stammering out a sentence. "I-I'm sorry you had to, uh.._ see_ that," He said, looking down at the carpeted floor.

Wendy squinted her eyes and chuckled awkwardly. "Um, right... I think I heard Stan calling me, so I'm gonna go see what he wants." She said, pointing her thumb behind her in a motion showing her exit as she excused herself.

Bill finally looked over at the living room doorframe once the girl had left. He snickered for a moment. "Stanford Filbrick Pines, you've officially scarred a minor for life." He said with a smirk.

"Oh please, we're both to blame." Ford stated, rolling his eyes.

"More you than me." Bill said, folding his arms.

"We both know that's not true." Ford retorted, looking at Bill with a rather blank facial expression.

Bill shrugged at the statement. "Agree to disagree." He proposed. He looked over at the doorframe once more, standing up and putting his hands on his hips. "Hey, wait a minute!" He began, "Red lied! Stan's not even home."

"You're just now realizing this?" Ford asked with a chuckle.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the other's comment as Ford stood up, leaning against the wall. "You know," Ford began. "I wonder if it would be a good idea to call Fiddleford..." He thought out loud.

"Do you even have his number?" Bill asked, folding his arms and tilting his head.

"If he has the same number that he did when were working on the portal together, then _yes._" Ford said.

"Why are you calling him?" Bill asked.

Ford just shrugged as he walked to the table, grabbing hold of the home phone and dialing the number. "Well, we spoke last month for a bit. We haven't spoken since." He informed.

The phone rang a few times before Stanford heard a voice on the other side of the line. He was surprised that it was the man he was hoping to speak to. The man on the other line began with a, "_Hello?_"

Ford smiled at the familiar voice. "Hello, Fiddleford. It's me, St-"

"_Stanford?_" McGucket finished.

"Yeah," Ford answered. "How are you doing?" He asked, leaning on the table a bit.

_"I've been pretty decent!" _Fiddleford began, _"I was a'thinking about calling you the other day, but I wasn't sure if you were busy." _

Ford chuckled and shook his head. "Well, I was a bit busy, I suppose." He said. He wasn't very sure if now was the appropriate time to mention his month-long illusion. _I wonder if Fiddleford has any ideas or information on my previous state of unconsciousness. _He was silent for a moment before proposing a question. "If you're not doing anything later, you're welcome to come over to the house. We would be happy to give you a ride."

"_We?_" Fiddleford asked.

"We?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ford ignored the statement made by the man beside him, and he confirmed the statement. "Yes, _we._ I understand if you already have plans-" Ford said with a shrug.

"No!" McGucket assured a bit more frantic than he intended. "I don't have any plans."

The two men on the phone worked out the situation, and decided that McGucket would come to the shack after being picked up by the other.

"It's no trouble, really," Ford assured. "Goodbye." He said before hanging up the phone.

Bill folded his arms and sighed. "So, is he coming?" He asked.

Ford nodded his head. "Yes, would you like to come with?" He asked, grabbing his lab coat from one of the chairs and putting it on.

Bill shrugged. "It's not like I have anything better to do." He said.

Directly after the statement, Stan walked in from the back door, and the two men looked over at him. Stan was carrying a couple of grocery bags, and he got the key to the front door, holding it up in front of his eyes to pick the correct key. Bill and Ford rushed over to the front door to get the car. Ford extended his arm out, swiftly snatching the keys from his brothers hand and grabbing the doorknob. He held it open and Bill walked out, Stanford following behind him.

"_Hey!_" Stan shouts, looking at his brother. "Where are you going?" He asks, putting his hands on his hips. He looked over at Bill and Ford as they were already at the car doors.

Ford got into the car before he could catch his brothers question and before he could notice the appearance of the car. Bill, however, took a moment and smirked over at Stan, opening the car door and waving mockingly. "See ya, Fez!" Before sitting down in the passenger seat of the vehicle.

Ford looked around the car in confusion, raising an eyebrow and looking over at the other. "Bill?" He began.

Bill looked at the man as he buckled his seatbelt. "Yes?"

"When in the world did we get another car?" Ford asked, buckling his seatbelt as well.

Bill raised an eyebrow for a moment before remembering what had happened to Stanford's old car. "Oh, right. You're wondering why there's a new car suddenly after your old one so _tragically _fell into a pit when we were being escorted to the police station. _Right... _Hm, pretty tragic indeed." Bill said, a small smirk at the end of his sentence.

Stanford rolled his eyes and looked at Bill. "Would you just explain what happened?"

Bill snickered. "Relax, IQ. Stanley got a new one while you were unconscious with this stash of cash he found under one of the floorboards in the living room." He said with a shrug.

Ford's eyes widened in fear. "Come again?"

Bill nodded. "Yeah, there was this totally random stash of cash underneath one of the boards in the floor." He said, and chuckled. "Wow, look at me rhyming! Mabel would be so proud of me right now." He said.

One of Ford's bottom eyelids twitched slightly, and he sighed. He clenched his teeth and face palmed. "I was saving that for a Dimensional Carbine Neuralyzer." He muttered under his breath. He looked over at Bill. "Stan didn't spend _all _of it on the car though, did he?"

"No, he didn't spend _all _of it..," Bill began. Ford gave a sigh of relief before he could finish his sentence. "..On the _car._"

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What does that mean?"

Bill chuckled awkwardly and ran a hand through his hair. "Well, he spent _some _of it on the car. And he spend the _rest of it _on hospital visits."

"Hospital visits..?" Ford asked. "For what? Doesn't he have _health insurance _of some kind?" He asked, raising his voice slightly.

"It wasn't for him." Bill said. "We took you to the hospital a couple of times, and we got some sort of advanced help. But even _they _couldn't do anything about your state." Bill said, folding his arms and sighing.

Ford sighed, but nodded. He couldn't stay mad when Stan and Bill were only trying to help him. "Well, never mind that." Ford began, "We have more important things to do than simply sit around."

"Aren't you upset?" Bill asked.

Ford shrugged as he started the car. "Honestly, I'm not as upset as I probably should be. It's better knowing that you and Stan were trying to help rather than wasting it on who knows _what._"

Bill could only smile at this. He nodded and looked out the window as Ford turned the car around, getting on the road towards town.

* * *

Meanwhile in California, Dipper and Mabel were thinking a lot about the people they left behind in Gravity Falls. Dipper was busy at the couch sketching a creature he had swore to have seen just the other night, while Mabel was knitting a yellow sweater out of yarn.

"What's wrong, Dipper?" Mabel asked, looking over at her brother with a concerned look on her face.

Dipper looked at Mabel and shrugged. "I can't get the thought of Ford's state out of my head. It's been bugging me ever since we got back home."

"I'm sure he's okay," Mabel assured. "I'm sure Stan and Bill are taking care of him!"

"_Bill?_" Dipper repeated, looking at Mabel and dropping the pencil in his hand on the side table. "With all of this happening, you seriously think _Bill _is helping Ford, Mabel? Bill was the one who caused all this!" Dipper exclaimed.

"You _don't know that!_" Mabel shot back. "You heard Grunkle Ford, Bill has changed since the summer!"

"Have _you _seen him change, Mabel?" Dipper asked. "I mean, seriously! It's only been a few months. It's not _that easy _for someone to change!"

Mabel shook her head and glared at her brother. "How would you know?" She asked, folding her arms and glaring.

Dipper was quiet for a moment, not sure how to respond to the question. He decided to go with the most logical reason. "After all Bill has done, he couldn't just change within a couple of months!"

"We have to think _positive, _Dipper!" Mabel exclaimed, a tear forming at each side of her eyes.

Dipper rolled his eyes and stood up, putting his hands on his hips and looking at his sister. "Fine! _You _think positive while _I _think logically!" He said, and stormed out of the living room.

Mabel groaned and clenched her fists into a nearby pillow. Waddles noticed the girl's reaction from the other side of the room and came up to her, making his way onto the couch and climbing into her lap. Mabel sighed and gave a sad smile at her pet. "Dipper just doesn't understand, Waddles..." She muttered, letting go of the pillow in her hands and instead hugging the pig tight.

Dipper stormed out of the living room, passing through the kitchen and walking up the stairs to his room and slamming the bedroom door behind him. He glared at the carpet in the dark room with his fists clenched as he sat on his bed. Dipper sighed and looked out the bedroom window at the stars forming in the sky. _He's dangerous._ Dipper told himself._ Bill hasn't changed, he can't change after everything he's done. And I'll never forgive him, no matter how much Mabel will. _

* * *

"What if he's not home?" Bill questioned as he got out of the vehicle.

"We spoke twenty minutes ago, Fiddleford not being home is unlikely." Ford stated, shutting off the car before stepping out of the car.

The driveway at the mansion was very spacious, almost _too _spacious that Ford didn't know where to park the car appropriately. He made sure to keep the car away from the edge of the mountain that the mansion was on. Stanford was sure he would lose his mind if his new car fell off the steep mountain. As Ford shut his car door, Bill was already dashing over towards the gate. Ford noticed the other running off, and he was quick to catch up to Bill.

Bill grabbed the gate and clenched the bars with his hands, shaking the gate madly and hollering, "_You home, old guy?__"_

Ford rolled his eyes and walked up to Bill, folding his arms. "Bill, that's not how you-"

"Yeah, yeah, _not how you treat the elderly_." Bill said, "I know the speech."

"That's not what I'm talking about this time." Ford said, pointing towards a doorbell on one of the pillars beside the gate. He rang the doorbell and put his hands in his pockets, looking forward at the door that was a distance away. The two waited a few moments until seeing McGucket come out of his house. Ford smiled when he saw the man and waved. "Hello!" He greeted.

McGucket walked over to the gate once he pulled the lever to open the gate. "Hey there, Ford!" He greeted with a grin.

Bill looked at the man for a moment, and looked away before McGucket could see his eyes.

"I see you're well settled." Ford said, looking over at the mansion.

"Sure have!" McGucket exclaimed. "Hard to find things in there if you misplace em', though..." He muttered. He gave Stanford a smile before wrapping his arms around his torso in a hug. Ford looked down at the man and repeated the gesture with a smile.

Bill looked at the two and rolled his eyes. "Alright, we got him. Can we go home now?" He asked rather impatiently as he folded his arms.

Ford shot Bill a quick glare, sensing the lack of kindliness in his words. Bill shrugged his shoulders innocently. "What? It's _cold _out here!" He stated innocently.

McGucket nodded at the statement made by the man he was unfamiliar with. "The young man's right, it gets really cold up here, peculiarly."

Stanford shrugged and grabbed his keys from out of his coat pocket. "I'm sure Stan is going to wonder where we were, being that we left without context." He said.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, he looked really confused." He said with a snicker. The three headed towards the car as Ford unlocked it.

Bill grabbed hold of the passenger seat's door, and was in the process of opening it as Ford shook his head. Ford looked at Bill blankly for a moment, and then looked over in McGucket's direction._ Ford wants McGucket in the passenger seat, and not me? _Bill thought to himself. Bill looked at Ford with a large bewildered look on his face as he tried to speak. "Wh-How- But he- Wh- _why?_" Bill asked Ford in complaint.

"Go to the back seat." Ford commanded with a firm tone of voice.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Come on, Sixer. Are you _seriously-"_

"Back seat." Ford repeated. "Now."

Bill rolled his eyes and groaned obnoxiously, but obeyed the order. He opened the door to the back seat and sat down on one of the seats. He shut the door and buckled his seatbelt before he looked up, glaring directly at Ford.

Stanford noticed Bill's facial expression after sitting down into the drivers seat. He sighed and looked away, putting his hands on the wheel.

Once they were on the road heading back to the shack, McGucket looked over at Ford and smiled. "How's Stan been?" He asked, concerned for the others well-being. "Did he move out after summer like ya' said he would?"

"There was a minor change in plans," Ford began. "At first, I was going to have Stanley move out when the summer was over. But, we talked it over a bit while the twins were staying at the shack, and I figured it would be best for him to stay a bit longer. Better for both of us. In fact, we had plans to sail across the Pacific Ocean after summer." He said with a small smile.

"Well, why didn't ya?" Fiddleford asked.

"Stanley lost his memory after Weird-" Ford started, but stopped himself in between his sentence. He remembered that the remorse-filled host of Weirdmageddon was sitting in the back seat of the car, likely listening in on the conversation. He corrected himself, saying. "After I wiped his mind with a memory gun."

McGucket nodded. "But he's better, ain't he?"

"Yes, he was cured by Mabel, as surprising as that may sound. Long story short, He was feeling much better, and got all of his memory back. Until a couple side effects came along. He started feeling dizzy often, and I had to assist him once and a while to keep him from passing out." Ford said.

Stanford looked at McGucket and gave an assuring smile before looking back at the road before speaking once more. "However, there is no need to worry, the side effects seem to have _fully_ passed since then, and he seems to be doing just fine. We've been talking about our plan to travel across the ocean again," He said, and gave a small grin. "And maybe even bring along someone else." He said, looking in the mirror and looking at Bill.

Bill noticed the eye contact and his jaw dropped. He grinned from ear to ear and nodded frantically at the sound of an adventure.

"Me?" McGucket asked, a look on his face of hope and cheer.

Ford bit his lip. _That wasn't exactly what we were thinking... _He thought to himself. Regardless of the plans, he cleared his throat and said, "Possibly."

Fiddleford smiled and cheered. "Woo-hoo!" He exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air.

Bill rolled his eyes at the reaction made by the man, and he folded his arms in annoyance.

"How about the twins? How are Mabel and Dipper?" McGucket asked.

"Well," Ford began with a chuckle. "We have a _lot _to catch up on." He stated.

* * *

"Hey, Soos!" Melody greeted her boyfriend as he walked in the door to his grandma's house.

Soos gave a smile and waved. "Hi, Melody," He said as he closed the front door, "Are we late?" He asked, concerned.

Melody shook her head. "No, we still have plenty of time before our appointment starts, don't worry about it!" She said with a smile.

Soos nodded at the assurance. "Do you think we should get on the road early?" He asked. "Ya' know, in case traffic gets out of hand?"

"Sure!" Melody said, shrugging. With that, the two went to the car. Soos offered to help his girlfriend, but Melody shook her head and chuckled. "I can get around fine, but thanks for volunteering, Soos." She said with a smile.

"Just making sure you're doing okay." Soos said with a sigh. "I don't really know how to handle these situations."

"Neither of us do," Melody admitted, taking Soos's hand in hers and looking up into his eyes. "But we can get through this together." She said.

Soos nodded and smiled back, and the two walked over to the car. Soos sat in the drivers seat, and Melody sat in the passengers. He grabbed the keys from out of the pocket in his shorts. It didn't take long until the couple was on the road.

A few minutes later, Melody turned her head to Soos and asked, "Hey Soos, how come your Abuelita stayed at her home instead of the mystery shack? Didn't the shack basically become yours?"

"Well, I didn't really _own_ the shack, I just became the new Mr. Mystery when Mr. Pines and his brother were planning on traveling the Pacifica ocean. Then their plans changed and Abuelita decided that the shack was a little too big for her. She basically felt safer in her house since it was smaller. It makes it easier for her to get around since she's... a little older now." Soos informed.

Melody nodded. "That's totally understandable." She said, "It's probably better for her that way."

"Yeah." Soos said with a small chuckle. "I just hope she lives to see our kid." He said with a sigh.

"I'm sure she will." Melody assured, putting a hand on Soos's shoulder and rubbing it gently as she gave a warm smile. "Speaking of the baby, I had some ideas for names."

"Really?" Soos asked, "Like what?"

"Well, if It's a girl, I was thinking Violet or Dana." Melody said with a shrug.

Soos nodded. "Yeah, Violet would be a great name!" He said with a smile. "If it's a boy, recently I've been thinking Sam would be a good name." Soos said, shrugging.

Melody hummed slightly for a moment, shrugging. "I don't know, I really like the name Brock." She said.

"Brock?" Soos repeated, tilting his head, looking at his girlfriend for a split second before looking back at the road. "I dunno…"

Melody shrugged. "Well, we have a lot of time to decide, don't worry about it." She said with a smile.

Soos nodded in agreement before informing, "Oh, the clinic is just around the block."

"Really? I didn't know it was this close." Melody said, surprised. "I fell asleep on the way to our last visit here."

"Abuelita used to take me here all the time when I was a kid," Soos said, chuckling. "I know the location by heart after going so many times."

Soos drove to the parking lot of the clinic, finding a decent parking spot close to the front of the building. The clinic was fairly small, with a lemon-colored paint outside of the building. There was a set of double glass doors at the front with thin black framing. There were a few small windows near the lobby area, showing a clear view to a few comfortable chairs placed against a wall across from the window. Melody and Soos got out of the truck, and went over to the front door. Soos grabbed a door and held it open for Melody, and she thanked him for the considerate gesture.

Soos and Melody went up to the front desk to the right, and greeted the woman working at the desk. The woman had long, black hair with her hair tied in a ponytail that hung down her back, and dark blue eyes. Her nametag read 'Marleen'.

"Hello!" Marleen greeted. "Are you here to renew medications?" She asked.

Melody shook her head at the question. "No, we have an appointment in a few minutes. We're just checking in." She said, smiling.

Marleen nodded. "Of course!" She said, and grabbed hold of her clipboard. She grabbed a pen with her other hand and put it near the paper. "Names please?"

"Soos Ramirez and Melod-" Melody, began, but was cut off by the woman.

"Oh, you're right there." Marleen pointed out, circling their names on the list. "I've got you checked in. Go ahead and take a seat in the lobby!" She said, pointing her pen over to the chairs.

"Thanks!" Melody and Soos said to the lady at the desk. The worker gave a smile to the couple, and they walked over to the chairs. Melody and Soos sat beside each other, and Soos grabbed hold of a magazine displaying the most popular video games in the state. Melody chuckled at his option and looked over at the page that Soos had turned to. She pointed at one game that was shown, and commented. "I used to love that game!"

Soos nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I-" He began, but stopped in the beginning of his sentence when a pregnant lady burst out of a room, the door slamming into the wall as she stormed out.

The woman's husband chased after her, saying, "Jamie, come back! It's not as bad as it seems! In fact, we should be happy about the results!"

"Don't tell me how to feel, Ryan!" Jamie spat at her husband, screaming at him as she spoke, "If _this _is what's going to happen, and if this thing is _really _going to be a boy, I-I'm getting an abortion!" She exclaimed, her hands balling up into fists.

"Honey, don't be inconsiderate," Her husband tried, but it seems to be no use what the woman began yelling again.

"There you go, telling me what to _feel _again!" She spat, "I don't have time for this, we're going home!" She exclaimed, stomping over towards the door.

Ryan nodded slowly, walking over to the door behind his wife. "Y-yes dear..." He said, a look of guilt on his face as the two left the building.

Soos and Melody looked at each other, then at the door, then back at each other. Soos bit his lip and took off his hat, looking down at it in worry. "M-melody?" He muttered. His girlfriend looked at him and tilted her head. Soos sighed before speaking again, "You don't think we're gonna end up like that, do you..?"

"Of course not!" Melody said, shaking her head. "Come on, Soos. We're more mature than that." She said, grabbing hold of one of Soos's hands in an affectionate manner.

"I dunno," Soos said, "We're still reading video game magazines. Maybe... we're not ready for this kind of thing." He said with a sigh.

Melody shrugged slowly, and opened her mouth to say something. Before she had the chance to speak, a doctor walked out of the same room as the last couple with a clipboard in hand. "Soos and Melody?" He asked out loud, walking towards the other side of the hall where he could see the people in the lobby.

"That's us." Soos says, standing up. Melody nods and puts on a smile. The two walked over to the doctor and greeted the man.

"Hello, I'm Dr. Otis Lutwin," He said, putting a hand out. "We spoke on the phone last week." Soos nodded, and accepted the handshake. "Follow me, please." Otis requested. Soos, Melody, and Otis walked over to the doctor's room, and the doctor held the door open for the couple. Soos and Melody thanked the man, and Lutwin closed the door behind him.

"Take a seat, please." He said, pointing to a couch beside his desk. Melody and Soos sat down as instructed, and they gave each other small smiles, hoping to forget the talk they had just had in the lobby.

"Do we need to sign any paperwork?" Melody asked.

"Or answer any questions on a clipboard?" Soos asked.

Dr. Lutwin shook his head. "No," He began, "However, I would like you both to review the questions you filled out last time, and tell me if anything has changed on the list since then. If so, inform me about it." He said to the couple.

"Will do!" Soos said, grabbing the clipboard from out of the doctor's hands. Dr. Lutwin turned around on his spinning-stool and typed down some information on his computer, looking around in a few files to access Soos and Melody's recent information from past visits. Soos and Melody reviewed the list a couple times, and confirmed that nothing had changed since the last visit.

"Nothing on the list has changed." Melody informed with a shrug.

"Great," Dr. Lutwin said, standing up from his stool. "Now, if you would just walk over here to the bed so we can do a quick sonogram." He continued, pointing over to the hospital bed behind the couch.

"Absolutely!" Soos exclaimed with a grin, walking over to the hospital bed and laying down atop it.

Dr. Lutwin tilted his head and raised an eyebrow at the behavior. "Um.., not you, sir." He said, motioning for him to get off the bed. "I was speaking to the lady."

"Oh," Soos muttered. He chuckled awkwardly and got off the hospital bed. "Sorry, dude."

Melody walked over and handed her purse to Soos before laying down. Dr. Lutwin moved his desk over to the bed and positioned his computer close by Melody. He grabbed a special camera from above the bed and hovered it over her stomach. She lifted her shirt up slightly enough so the camera could get an accurate photo. "This will only take a moment." Dr. Lutwin assured.

Melody nodded, and it only took a total of two minutes for the process to be complete. Once the photos were taken, Dr. Lutwin printed them out for Melody and Soos to see. He walked over to the printer and grabbed the photos, handing one to the couple and looking at the same image on his computer.

Soos and Melody both had smiles on their faces as they looked down at their child in the photo. Soos looked up at the doctor and asked, "Is it a boy or a girl?" He questioned.

"The gender is unidentified..," Dr. Lutwin informed. He turned to face Melody and Soos and said, "It's nothing to be alarmed about. Not knowing the gender this early in the stage of development is not uncommon. I'm sure by your next visit we will have figured it out." He assured.

"When can we schedule an appointment?" Melody asked the doctor.

Dr. Lutwin reached for a clipboard of the schedules. "Well," He muttered as he looked at the paper on the clipboard. "I can get you in...in two weeks, 2:00PM, if that works out for the two of you."

Soos and Melody looked at each other and shrugged. "That works for us!" Melody said with a smile. Soos nodded in agreement.

"Perfect, I'll see you both then." Dr. Lutwin said. "Feel free to keep the sonogram photos." He added.

"Thanks dude!" Soos said, taking the photos and looking at the two.

"Have a nice day." Dr. Lutwin said, looking back at his computer. With that, the couple left the office.

* * *

It wasn't long until Stanford, Bill, and Fiddleford got back to the Mystery Shack. When they did, Stan was waiting for them by the front door. Fiddleford was the first to leave the car and walk into the house, not really paying a look around at his surroundings. He looked over to his left after walking in the door to see Stan suddenly standing beside him. "Ahh!" McGucket exclaimed, jumping backwards and nearly tumbling to the floor.

Stan laughed in a mocking manner at the motion, and he looked over at the door to see Bill and Ford walking inside.

Stan folded his arms, looking at his brother. "What'd you do?" He asked.

"What?" Ford asked, shutting the front door behind him.

"We went to pick up this old prune." Bill informed, pointing over in Fiddleford's direction.

Ford gave a small glare at him. "Bill..." He muttered in a warning tone of voice.

Bill shrugged innocently. "What? He is what he is!" He stated, folding his arms and frowning.

Ford rolled his eyes at the statement and looked at Stan. "We left the shack once you got back home to go and pick up Fiddleford from his house"

"Wait, wait..," Stan began, narrowing his eyes. "Are you saying that you left the house with _my _new car, _just _to pick _him _up? Shouldn't the guy know how to drive on his own at his age?" He asked, muttering the last bit to himself.

"_Your _car?" Ford asked, adjusting his glasses. "You used _my_ savings from in the living room to buy that car. Wouldn't that make it _my _car?" He asked, folding his arms.

Stan put his hands on his hips and glared. "No, I chose it out and I paid for it. That makes it _my _car!" He exclaimed.

"My money, _my stuff!" _Ford shot back.

Stanley glared. "Can't ya' just be happy we got another car?" He asked his brother.

"A new car... with _my _money!" Ford exclaimed, glaring.

Stan clenched his teeth together. "You ungrateful jerk!" He shouted, putting his hands on Ford's shoulders. Ford glared and extended his arms out to keep his brother away from him, swiftly moving a step away and then grabbing Stan's wrists. He grabbed Stanley's wrists and held them up against his back. Stan grunted at the way he had lost. "Let go of me, Ford!" He commanded with a glare.

Bill just rolled his eyes at the childish behavior. "Calm down there, Stan! If you try to fight him, you're gonna end up breaking a hip!" He stated, folding his arms.

"That's not the only thing we used the money on, pointdexter!" Stan exclaimed.

"I _know!" _Ford exclaimed. He got rid of the glare on his face and replaced it with a frown. He sighed, taking his hands away from Stan's wrists. He backed away slightly and looked at his brother. "I know..." He repeated once more, his tone of voice sounding almost remorseful.

Bill looked over at McGucket for a split second. He noticed that the man looked confused and awkward as he witnessed the situation. Bill clasped his hands together obnoxiously at the silence filling the room and he looked at Stanford. "Are we going down to the lab now or what?" He asked in a highly annoyed tone.

Ford nodded in agreement to the proposal. "Yes, that seems like a good idea." He stated, walking over to the living room. "Come along." He encouraged with a wave of his hand.

McGucket was quick to follow, meanwhile Bill stayed behind for a moment, looking at Stan and folding his arms. "I told Ford about the whole hospital thing." He informed, once the man mentioned left the room.

"Was he upset?" Stan asked.

Bill just shook his head. "Nope." He said.

Stan narrowed his eyes. "You lyin' to me, demon?" He questioned, suspicious.

Bill shook his head and shrugged innocently. "I'm not lying, Fez." He stated with a faint glare. "When I asked if he was mad about it, he said that he wasn't as mad as he should be about it." He said. Bill then snickered and said, "Heck, i'd be pissed _off _if someone just spent my life savings like that!" He commented, smirking.

Stan rolled his eyes and grunted. "Typical Ford. His life is more valuable to him than his dumb science crap." He said, looking away.

Bill was considering arguing with the statement, but he didn't want to be gone for too long. The longer it took him to get down to the lab, the more suspicious Stanford would get. He walked into the living room, making a shortcut through the _Employees only _door and turning to face the secret entrance to the laboratory. Bill took a moment to recall the code to get into the vending machine.

Ford and McGucket had already headed down the stairs, and they were about to open the elevator. Stanford turned around and saw Fiddleford, but no Bill. He raised an eyebrow. He looked at McGucket and said, "Do you know where Bi-" He began to ask, but stopped himself when he heard someone coming down the stairs. He looked over at the staircase.

"I'm here." Bill assured. "What's the plan?" He asked, rubbing his hands together as he stood beside the others.

Ford shrugged. "That depends." He said.

Bill tilted his head in confusion. "What does that mean?" He questioned, not really understanding the situation.

Before Ford could answer, McGucket opened the elevator door, taking a step inside. "This elevator brings back memories." He said with a small smile on his face. He stood in the corner of the elevator and held onto the bar railing secured onto the walls. He looked to his right in the corner and pointed to a marking on the wall. "Remember this, Ford?" He asked the other.

Stanford looked over at the marking, squinting his eyes slightly before realizing what it was. His eyes widened when he saw the markings. They were Stanford and Fiddleford's initials carved into the dark, wooden wall from many years ago. After today, the last thing he wanted Bill to see was _that, _afraid that he would get the wrong idea. Ford rushed over to them, hiding them by laying his back against the corner of the wall.

Bill raised an eyebrow at the quick movement. "What was that for?" He asked, confused.

Ford shrugged. "Old memories, just like Fiddleford said." He responded, looking down at his feet and trying his best not to remember.

McGucket nodded. "You've got that right!" He commented with a smile. Ford looked away and closed his eyes, shaking his head slowly and sighing silently. Bill noticed the reaction and grew even _more _confused. He decided to just let it go for now, as it was probably nothing to be concerned about in the first place.

When the elevator doors opened to the laboratory, the three walked out. Bill pushed past the two and ran up to the office chair, nearly tripping on his way over and jumping atop the chair. He laughed when he almost fell off the chair, and pouted when he didn't

"Is that man sober?" Fiddleford asked, tilting his head.

Ford nodded and chuckled awkwardly. "He _really _likes that chair. For some reason..." He said, muttering the last bit.

McGucket shrugged at the answer and walked over across the room to the large, covered window that used to show a clear view to the portal. "How long has this been covered up?" He asked Ford, pointing to the covered window.

Stanford shrugged. "Ever since I got back, really." He said.

"...Back?" McGucket repeated, confused.

Ford nodded slowly, and his eyes widened after realizing something that he figured the other should have known a _long _time ago. "You... you don't _know?_" He asked, a look of remorse on his face.

"I'm not sure what 'yer talking about, Stanford." McGucket admitted, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh..," Ford muttered. "Well, I suppose it's only right for me to tell you where I've been for the past.._.30 years_..." He said with a sigh, leaning on the small desk in front of the portal window.

"Good golly, is that a _memory gun?_" Fiddleford exclaimed suddenly, turning around and running over towards Ford's main desk. He looked down at the memory gun and picked it up cautiously. "This is the original design, I've been a'looking for this ever since I got my memory back!"

"Memory back?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow. He was about to ask about the lost memory, but his thought was stopped when Fiddleford walked over to the portal room's door.

"If my original design is still here, then I must have left the instructions in this portal room!" McGucket said, his eyes wide open. He grabbed the doorknob and opened it, looking around the room cautiously.

Ford raised an eyebrow, but followed the other. "How can you be so sure it's in here?" He asked. "It's been over 30 years since-"

"I'm sure it's in here." McGucket stated. "Unless it was moved, it'll be here." He said.

"It was _probably _moved." Bill muttered, folding his arms and rolling his eyes.

"Boy, this room brings back a lotta' memories..." Fiddleford said, sighing. He couldn't help but smile as a few memories came back to him.

Ford looked over at the portal with suspicion. He raised an eyebrow and walked over towards Bill. He took another glance at the portal before muttering, "Bill?"

"Yeah?" Bill responded, looking at Ford, only to see that he was looking at the portal with squinted eyes.

"Did you... try fixing the portal while I was unconscious all that time?" Ford asked.

_Crap, he noticed. He's not as dumb as Stan was. _"Uh," Bill began. "No, _I _didn't." He assured, half-lying. _I'm telling the truth, right? I didn't fix the portal, Soos did. _

"Hmm..." Ford hummed, tilting his head. "I could have sworn something was different."

Fiddleford's eyes widened and he smiled wide, picking up a piece of paper. "Look Stanford, I found it!" He exclaimed.

"That's great!" Ford said with a smile.

"I'm surprised you still kept em' down here after all this-_Woah_!" McGucket exclaimed in horror as he looked into Bill's eyes. "I-It's _you_!" He blurted out, pointing at Bill.

Bill sighed and rolled his eyes, muttering. "Aand…here we go."

"S-Stanford, that's_ Bill Cipher! _Get him _out!_" McGucket shrieked. His entire body was shaking, and he looked down at the memory gun in his hands. "Stay back, demon! I-I'm sure this thing works!"

"Woah!" Bill exclaimed, glaring. "Don't you point that thing at me!" He commanded, pointing his finger at the memory gun that McGucket was threatening him with.

Ford put his hands out in front of him, shaking his head and walking towards the scared man and said, "Fiddleford, calm down! I meant it when I said we have a _lot _to talk about." He said. McGucket was still shaking but looked at Ford as he walked towards him. Ford put a hand on McGucket's shoulder, and the other man lowered the gun in his hand, dropping it to the floor gently. "Bill's not the same anymore." He assured.

"Y-You got that right!" McGucket stuttered.

Ford sighed and shook his head. He looked into McGucket's eyes as he spoke. "Okay, he's changed in _multiple _ways." He muttered, but continued. "Even since he's become a human, he's begun to have a change in heart. He's still a bit rough around the edges, but he means _well._"

"I don't know, Stanford," McGucket began, "Those eyes... they remind me of the past. _Our _past." He adds. "Back when we were making the portal, back when he possessed you, back when he fooled you and messed with me, I just..," Fiddleford continued, sighing. "I just don't want you to get fooled by him again-"

"It will be okay, Fiddleford. I'm not as naïve as I used to be. You don't have to worry." Ford assured.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the conversation, and he felt like leaving the room completely. Before he made any choices of action, Ford left the portal room to go upstairs. Fiddleford decided to follow behind him, but when he saw that Ford was already heading over to the elevator, he figured it would be a good chance to confront the demon standing before him.

McGucket was about to pass by Bill, but stopped in his tracks to look at him. "This better not be some trick of 'yers, Cipher." He stated, pointing at the other with his eyes narrowed. "I won't let you hurt Ford again."

Bill narrowed his eyes back at McGucket and put his hands on his hips. "You forgave Ford pretty easily, maybe you should forgive me, too." He said.

"That's different," Fiddleford stated, folding his arms. "You've done a lot more damage than Stanford ever did. I don't want you hurting the man I've_ still loved_ all these years." He said, keeping his voice firm.

Bill glared at the 'love' statement. _Love..? Love? Oh, ne-ne-no. He didn't just say that. _Bill ran a hand through his hair, trying to calm his facial expression. "Love?" He repeated in a confused manner.

Fiddleford nodded. "Well, we fell in love back in college, we had even been officially together at one point during the portal process. Until _you _started takin' control of Stanford." He added, a scowl on his face.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Look, I'm _sorry, _alright? I'm not like that anymore, so there's _no need_ to hold a grudge." He stated.

Fiddleford sighed before speaking. He looked away, then looked back at Bill. "Be a good friend to Stanford, maybe then I can start to see if you've had a change in heart." He said. Bill was about to comment something, but before he could speak, McGucket had already left the room.

He looked over at the portal for a moment, and wondered how Ford had noticed changes. _Jeez, either Soos is good at hiding results, or he hasn't done much of_ _anything_. He thought to himself. He sighed and looked through the small window on the portal room's door, noticing that McGucket had already left the room.

_He better not get any ideas._ Bill thought to himself, clenching his fists by his sides. _If he lays a finger on Ford, I swear_ _I'm gonna give him a piece of my mind. I shouldn't be too worried about this love triangle anyway, I've been a literal triangle for as long as I can remember! Until I got this stupid, restricting fleshbag to call my own. Watch out, McGucket. You're gonna end up with a broken heart if you mess with Sixer..._

**Oh Bill... **

**Enjoy the Billford cuteness while you can, things are gonna get crazy in the next chapter!**

**...**

**(Don't worry, this is NOT turning into a Fiddauthor fic. This is still a Billford fanfic, I promise.) **


	26. Back off my Sixer!

**Heh... I have a _lot _planned for the next few chapters and I'm honestly _really _excited to write them. Lots will be heating up in this chapter since it's so long. **

**Anyway, here is chapter 29 of "Welcome Home"!**

It was about 8:00 at night. Stan and Ford were in the living room, standing up and chatting. Stan had a Pitt cola in hand, and Ford was fidgeting with a pen. He had recently put on his lab coat after foolishly leaving it on the couch that morning. It was mostly small talk, as they didn't have anything super-important to talk about.

"So," Stan began. "What happened while I was gone?" He asked, smirking in a way that made Ford suspicious.

"What?" Ford asked, confused.

"You know, what'd you and Bill do while I was gone earlier?" Stan asked.

Ford bit his lip. _Does he know? Is it obvious? How am I supposed to respond to this? _Ford didn't really know what to say. He was concerned that his brother knew about the kiss._ What if that's not what he means?_ He asked himself. Maybe Stan was just asking in general? _He's always been better at bluffing than I have..._

Ford fidgeted with the pen a bit more before looking at Stan. "Could you give a bit more of an explanation?" He hoped.

Stan rolled his eyes and groaned obnoxiously. "What's up with you, Sixer? It's a simple question. Did ya' keep decorating cookies while I was gone, or play a board game or somethin'? Yeesh, you're acting as if there's somethin' to be worried about. It's not like you and him kissed or anything." He said sarcastically with an eye roll.

Ford chuckled awkwardly and scratched the back of his neck. "Heh..._yeah..._" He muttered, looking down at his feet.

"Anyway," Stan continued. "I saw Tad at the store."

"Who?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Tad strange?" Stan began, "He's the most normal guy in Gravity Falls. You've _never_ heard of him?"

Stanford shook his head at the question. "No, I haven't." He responded. The way that his brother had explained it, he felt a bit unintelligent for not knowing the man. However, he hadn't been in public much since he had come out of the portal. "Have you spoken to the twins lately?" He asked.

"Who?" Stan asked, mockingly.

Ford rolled his eyes and folded his arms. "The _twins, _Stanley. Dipper and Mabel?"

"Actually," Stan began. "I was thinkin' about it, but then Bill suggested it'd be better if you spoke to them first. Ya' know, now that you're awake and all." He said, shrugging.

Ford hummed in consideration. "That's a nice idea." He said with a smile.

"Yeah, thank the demon." Stan said, taking a sip of his soda.

"Stan, he's not a _demon._" Ford stated. _Well, he is, but... _Stanford just sighed. "Not in that particular context."

Stan shrugged innocently. "What? I was bein' serious, pointdexter. It wasn't meant as an insult this time." He stated. "So are you gonna' call 'em or not?" He asked, putting a hand on his hip as he took another sip of his soda.

"I suppose so," Ford said with a shrug. With that, he walked over to the table and picked up the phone. He put his hand out to dial the number, but stopped himself. He didn't know the number that he was calling. "Do you know the-?" He began, but before he could finish his sentence, his brother understood.

"Yeah, yeah. Hold on." Stan said, walking over. He dialed the number quick for the other and the phone began to ring. Stan leaned on the stone wall beside him as Ford tapped his fingers on the table.

The phone only rang a few times before he heard a voice on the other line. "_Hello?_" Ford heard. It was the voice of a young girl which he could tell was Mabel's voice.

"Hello, Mabel." Ford said with a smile. He didn't need to say any more before he heard the girl squealing in joy.

"Oh my gosh, Grunkle Ford?" She asked, beaming in glee. She took the phone away from her face and covered the microphone, yelling, "_Dipper! Come down here, quick!"_

Ford just chuckled and said, "How are you?"

_"I'm great!"_ Mabel responded with a smile. _"The better question is, how are you?" _

Stan couldn't help but smile. "Told ya' it'd be better if you spoke first." He muttered to his brother.

Ford nodded in agreement to Stan's statement before responding to the girl. "I'm doing much better, thank you. I've been quite surprised lately, apparently I was unconcious for quite a long time." He said with a small sigh.

Mabel nodded. _"Yeah... we had to come back to California before saying goodbye. I'm sorry, Grunkle Ford." _She apologized with a frown.

"There's no need to apologize, Mabel." Ford began, "There wasn't much you could have done, it was for the best." He assured.

There wasn't a voice on the other line for a moment except for a few mutters. Mabel was likely talking to someone else. It wasn't long before Stanford heard a large gasp on the other line. Dipper had come downstairs and Mabel had informed him who was on the phone. Dipper snatched the phone and exclaimed, _"Great uncle Ford?" _

Ford chuckled. "Dipper, my boy, how are you?" He asked with a smile.

_"Uh, I-I'm good!"_ He said with a grin. _"How are you awake? When did you wake up?"_ He asked.

Stanford answered his questions before his nephew could ask more. "I'm not sure _how _I woke up, exactly. And It wasn't too long ago that I had woken up."

_"Did you find out what Bill did to you?"_ Dipper asked.

"What?" Ford asked, confused. "Bill didn't do anything to harm me, Dipper. If anything, he did everything he could to _help._" He stated.

"_That can't be true,_" Dipper said, "_Grunkle Stan tried to force the answers out of him with violence, but Bill wouldn't admit to anything he did._"

"He did _what?_" Ford asked, his hands grip on the phone tightening.

_"I know! Bill wouldn't admit to what he did to you, and-"_ Dipper continued, but was stopped when he heard Ford speaking.

"No, no, no. That's not what I'm talking about. What exactly did Stan _do_?" Ford asked his nephew, shooting a glare at Stan. Stanley tilted his head and raised an eyebrow.

_What're they talkin' about? _Stan asked himself. _I know that look, Ford looks pretty pissed._

Dipper raised an eyebrow, but shrugged. _"Um, all he did was grab him by the sweater and slam his back against the wall a few times. Some other fighting methods throughout, like punching and...well, punching."_ He said, scratching the back of his neck before continuing. _"Kinda brutal, but nothing that Bill didn't deserve."_ Dipper stated with a nod of his head.

Ford bit his lip and cringed. "Well, Dipper, I hope you're doing well in California. I'll be sure to call again sometime." He said, hoping to end the phone call.

_"Oh, that reminds me!"_ Dipper began, _"There aren't many abnormal things in California other than weird rock shapes and strange wood carvings, but I got a journal of my own to write about my findings!" _

_"It's pink!"_ Mabel exclaimed from across the living room. Ford heard the comment and Dipper chuckled awkwardly.

"_I- Yeah, It's pink, but it's pretty cool!"_ Dipper pointed out.

"And I'll be _thrilled _to hear about it soon, Dipper. But for right now, I must go." Ford stated.

_"Oh,"_ Dipper muttered. _"Well, o-okay then!"_ He said with a smile.

_"Bye!"_ Mabel shouted from across their living room.

Ford chuckled and ended the call saying, "Goodbye." He set the home phone down back onto it's stand and looked at Stanley. He cleared his throat before putting his hands on Stan's shoulders forcefully. "What were you hurting Bill for, you _knucklehead_?" He asked, a clear glare on his face.

"Woah, woah! Relax, pointdexter!" Stan said, raising his arms up slightly in an innocent manner. "I thought he did somethin' to hurt you, so I was lookin' for answers!" He admitted. "I thought he was lyin' at first, but I was wrong." Stan said, trying to shrug.

"Your dam right!" Ford shouted, his glare clear as his grip on his brother's shoulders got tighter.

"Hey, what's your deal?" Stan asked, glaring back. "Everyone makes mistakes!"

"Well, I'm sure _you_ would know!" Ford exclaimed, referencing the past.

Stan's eyes widened at the comment. Within a few seconds, there was a look of hurt on his face, the room silent. Ford noticed the look and instantly regretted his words that he had used against his brother. Ford shook his head slowly and regretfully, showing a look of remorse. He took a step back from Stan and took his hands off his shoulders, however keeping them in front of him. "Stan, I-" He tried, but stopped when Stan put a hand up in front of his face.

"Forget it." Stan muttered, his fists clenched. "I don't blame ya' for keepin' a grudge." He said before walking out of the living room with a frown.

Ford bit his lip and sighed, face palming. _How could I be so senseless? So inconsiderate? _He asked himself. Before he could go to apologize, Fiddleford walked into the living room.

"Heya, Stanford." McGucket greeted with a smile.

"Hello." Ford muttered, running a hand through his hair.

"You said somethin' earlier about being 'gone' for 30 years. What were ya' doing?" McGucket asked.

Ford shrugged. "Well, it's a really long story." He said. _A story I would rather not get into right now._

"I'm not goin' anywhere." McGucket said, sitting down on the couch. Fiddleford patted his hand on the couch, motioning for Ford to sit down. Ford was about to sit down, but saw Bill's head poking out the side of the living room doorframe. Ford looked at Bill and raised an eyebrow. Bill looked back at Ford and jerked his head to his left in a quick motion, hoping that Stanford would come.

Ford sighed and looked at McGucket. "Maybe later." He said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Before McGucket had a chance to answer, Ford spun around and headed out of the living room, walking out of the door frame sight and leaning against the wall beside it. "Mind explaining what it is you need?" He asked Bill.

"How long is _he_ staying here?" Bill asked, folding his arms.

"I'm not sure, exactly." Ford admitted. "For a few more hours, I would assume."

"_Hours?_" Bill repeated, his hands dangling down by his knees as he tilted his head. "What am I supposed to do until _then?_" He asked.

Stanford shrugged. "Well," He began, "It's never too early to get to know him better, you're welcome to-"

"Get to _know_ him?" Bill asked, scoffing. "He hates me, I could care less about befriending someone like_ him_." He stated with a small glare.

Ford just rolled his eyes. "He's not so bad of a person. Right now, I think you _both _need to realize that." He said, folding his arms. "I'm hoping to rebuild what I broke with him all those years ago."

_Hmph, so does he. _Bill thought to himself. _What a positive sign, I'm sure Fidds'll be thrilled when you tell him that. _

Ford ran a hand through his hair and sighed, "Look, Bill. I'm not forcing you to do anything you don't want to. But it might be a good idea to at least talk to Fiddleford a bit." He said with a shrug.

"Oh, I think I've spoken with him _enough_, thank you." Bill stated with a sarcastic laugh.

Ford shook his head. "I'm talking about when I'm _not _around? If I'm in a different room, for example?"

"My point exactly." Bill said, rolling his eyes.

Stanford raised an eyebrow, but decided not to comment. "I'll be in here if you need me-" Ford said, walking backwards a bit. But before he could leave, Bill grabbed his wrist and pulled him back over. Ford rolled his eyes and asked, "Yes?" With his arms folded.

"Your pal fiddlesticks over there is watching tv, can't we go work on something?" Bill asked, hopefully.

"What? He's not watching-" Ford began, turning around to look over at the doorframe. To his surprise, Fiddleford had taken the remote and turned the tv channel to a program. Ford hummed and turned back around, looking at Bill as the other man gave him an I-told-you-so type of look. "I stand corrected." Ford muttered.

Bill smirked. "Cool! What're we working on then, Fordsy?" He asked with a large grin on his face.

Ford put a hand out. "Don't start jumping to conclusions. What I had in mind for earlier was nothing exciting." He pointed out.

"Does this look like the face of a person who would care whether or not the activity was exciting?" Bill asked, pointing to his face.

"It does." Ford stated. "Remember when you first got here? You complained about anything and everything, always making it clear that you were bored." He said.

"What? I never complained-" Bill began, but stopped himself when he though back on the past few months. He looked away, thinking for a few moments as the room was silent, other than the tv in the background. Bill hummed and looked back at Ford, seeing him mocking the past I-told-you-so look that he had given him moments ago. Bill rolled his eyes at the facial expression. "Don't you _mock_ me, Sixer!" He commanded, narrowing his eyes.

Ford chuckled, and put his hands behind his back. "Well, If you desperately wish to work on something, I wouldn't mind doing a few quick tests on the emotion reader." He said.

"What kind of tests can you do on a broken gadget?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Wasn't it broken this morning?"

"I find time to work on my inventions." Ford said with a shrug. Bill tilted his head, admittedly impressed. "Now, follow me. We can pass through the gift shop to get into the lab." He said.

"But through the living room is less of a walk." Bill pointed out.

Ford looked behind him, tilting his head to look into the living room. He noticed McGucket still at the couch watching tv and laughing hysterically. Ford turned around and shrugged. "He seems to be quite in depth with what he's watching. I wouldn't want to disturb." He said.

"I wouldn't mind disturbing." Bill said with an innocent shrug.

"Bill." Ford warned.

Bill just rolled his eyes. "Fine, we'll go the long way." He said, waving his hand dismissively. With that, the two walked over to the house's front door, leaving the house and heading outside. Bill looked around to see the snow on the ground melting. He got down on his knees, collecting a handful of snow. He glanced over slightly at Stanford, considering if he should throw a snowball. He shaped the snowball into a circle, and looked down at it. He considered throwing it until the shape got to him.

_Round. _

A _circle. _No triangle in sight. Just a _circle. _

He sighed and stood up, the snowball still in his hands. It was half melted and felt like slushie in his hands. He glared down at the snowball and threw it down on the ground and stepping on it brutally with his foot. His fists were clenched and he looked down at the now scattered ice-snow before him. His eyes squinted down at it when he noticed a strange black item crushed on the ground with a few small wires poking out of it. He bent down and grabbed it, picking it up. The item gave his fingers a slight shock of electricity. He flinched at the sudden pain but didn't fail to cherish it.

He looked closer at the broken device. It wasn't just a small, broken, black box, it was...

A _camera? _

_What's a tiny camera doing in the yard? _Bill asked himself. _Has it always been here, or is someone watching? _

Ford turned around to see that Bill had stopped moving. "Are you coming?" He asked from a short distance.

"Huh?" Bill asked, looking over at Ford. It didn't take long for him to remember what the plan was. "Oh, right." He muttered. Bill dropped the tiny camera back onto the ground, next to some tiny grey pebbles before catching up to Stanford.

* * *

Soos and Melody drove home from the doctor's office. When they got back to Angelita's house, Soos showed her the photos of their baby that they had gotten from the clinic while his girlfriend went to take a shower.

Abuelita and Soos were in the kitchen, speaking about the visit to the clinic. Abuelita held the photos with a smile on her face. "Yes, it is a beautiful baby." She said. "You will be a good father." She added, hanging one of the photos on the kitchen fridge and giving the other back to her grandson.

"Thanks, Abuelita." Soos said, chuckling. "Do you think think it's too early?" He asked, leaning against the counter.

"It is never too early," Abuelita assured, "Besides, I want nothing more but to see my Soos begin a family before my time comes." She added.

"Aw, don't talk like that about yourself, Abuelita." Soos began, "I'm sure you have plenty of time left!" He tried.

Abuelita just shrugged at the statement. "How is work going? Have you finally proven yourself for the Mr. Misery job?" She asked.

"Mr. Mystery," Soos corrected. "Stan still says I have a lot to learn about telling lies- er, I mean, _stories_ about the items for sale in the gift shop. He also said I correct myself a lot when I explain stuff, and he says it makes the stories look fake. Do I, Abuelita?" He asked.

Abuelita was quiet for a moment, deciding what to say. She didn't want to hurt her grandson's feelings, but Soos really _did _correct himself often whenever he would bring up his job in a conversation. She just shrugged at the question. "I'll go vacuum the windows." She informed, before walking away into the living room.

Soos sighed and facepalmed. _Man, I ha__ve got to work on my lying- er, my story telling. _

* * *

"Jeez, Sixer. You really fixed this puppy up!" Bill praised, holding the emotion-reader in his hands. "It'll work for sure!"

Ford grinned at the compliment, but thought reasonably. "Let's not jinx it." He said.

Bill rolled his eyes, but nodded. "Anything new on the gizmo?" He asked.

"Not much," Ford admitted. "I still haven't decided a name for it. I'm sure one will come to mind in the future, but for now it's name is unknown. Other than the name, the device turned on correctly this morning, but I didn't use it on anyone." He informed.

"Well, here I am!" Bill said, extending his arms out by his sides, as if he were ready to be scanned at any moment.

"Are you sure you want to jump right into this? What if something goes wrong?" Ford questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Eh, I don't really care if I get a minor injury." Bill said with a shrug.

"Bill, side effects could go as far as neurotoxins being signaled to your brain." Ford warned. "We need to be careful with this."

"Brain sh'maine!" Bill said, waving his hand dismissively. "Hit me with your best shot!" He said with a grin.

Ford sighed, looking at the gadget. _He's acting so unconcerned... I can't do this. Not yet. If he ends up being injured, I'll never forgive myself. _Stanford looked up at Bill and set the gadget on his desk. "Maybe we should do this later." Ford said.

"Why?" Bill complained, folding his arms.

Ford thought for a moment, and said that, "There must be... _errors_ in the system. It doesn't give an alert buzz when it starts up. That signal is, uh... is essential." He said, nodding his head in hopes of convincing Bill of his clear lie.

Bill rolled his eyes and walked up to Stanford with his hands on his hips. "Stanford Pines, you are skilled at _many _things. _Lying _is not one of them." He stated.

Ford rubbed the back of his neck and nodded with a small frown on his face. "I know..." He muttered.

Bill snickered at the behavior. "Aw, you're so cute when you admit that I'm right. You should really do it more often." He said with a smirk.

"Oh, believe me, I knew that I wasn't good at lying for a _long _time. I'm sorry to break it to you, but you aren't the first other person to discover that flaw." Ford stated.

Bill huffed. "Once, Sixer!" He began. Ford raised an eyebrow as he continued, "Just _once _you could have let me feel as if I-" He continued, but he stopped in his sentence when the elevator door opened. Ford turned around as Bill looked at the open door, and when Bill saw the man that had come down, he rolled his eyes. _McGucket's not gone yet?_ Bill thought to himself

"You're not gone yet?" Bill asked, speaking his thoughts aloud and rolling his eyes.

"Bill," Ford warned, turning his head to look at him for a moment before looking back at the man in the elevator. "I'm sorry for leaving you downstairs, Fiddleford. You seemed quite amused with the program on tv, I didn't want to be the one to disturb." He said, shrugging.

"No need to apologize!" McGucket said with a laugh. "I had forgotten about the weekly episode of my favorite program, and I'm glad I didn't miss it." He said, walking out of the elevator.

Bill took a step forward. "Great! Would you like a ride home now?" He asked cheerfully, hoping the man would just _leave. _

Ford shot a quick glare at Bill, then turned back to look at McGucket. "You're free to stay as long as you'd like, Fiddleford. If you ever want to go home, just let me know." He said with a smile.

Bill's mouth hung open. _Oh, come on! You're seriously gonna let this idiot stay here, Sixer? I might be able to put up with him for a bit, but I'm not letting him get all your attention after today!_

* * *

Three months.

Three long, boring, _months._

For the past three months, Fiddleford had been visiting the shack almost every day. It was unamusing at first for Bill, but it quickly began to tick him off. Bill feared for his sanity, and he didn't know how much longer he could stand Ford's old friend visiting. Over the past three months, McGucket and Stanford had begun to bond, getting closer and closer, and becoming very close friends once again.

Whenever Bill looked at McGucket, he could tell that the old man was looking at Stanford in adulation and admiration. Ford's attention seemed to be something to fight for between the two. Fiddleford was unaware that Bill had developed a minor crush on his former lover, but Bill was sure that when he _did _find out, things wouldn't end well.

Stan and Ford hadn't been talking much at first, either. The days were spent away from each other for nearly a month, until Stan decided to forgive his brother's actions after all of the apologies that Ford had given. After that, the two spoke again, but not often with the so called "visitor" around.

_He might as well move right in. _Bill thought to himself. _If Sixer keeps bringing him back every day, maybe Fiddlesticks should just take my place! It's not like I'm needed anymore. _

And, it seemed like Fiddleford _had. _And that's what upset Bill the most.

"Sixer!" Bill exclaimed, rushing into the living room where Ford and McGucket were sitting on the couch. He looked at Ford and saw that one leg was crossed over his other in a rather relaxed state.

Ford turned to look at Bill and tilted his head. "Yes?" He questioned.

"Can we work on the device now?" Bill asked, hopefully.

Ford sighed. "Bill, we worked on that last..." He began, but came to a stop when he couldn't remember when the last time had been. He held out a hand in front of him, looking down and counting on his fingers. "One week, two, three..," He muttered. Ford set his hand down and cleared his throat. "Well, it was fairly recent, wasn't it?" He said with a shrug.

Bill folded his arms. "Four weeks." He corrected. "That's almost an entire month!" He practically scolded.

Stanford had a small look of guilt on his face, but Bill didn't seem to identify it. "Look Bill, we can work on it a bit later. I'm quite gripped by this conversation with-"

"With Fiddlesticks." Bill muttered, rolling his eyes and walking out of the living room and into the gift shop, not bothering to say another word.

He pushed the door open, and saw Stan counting his money by the register, leaning on the counter with his elbows. He had his usual work uniform on, even though there were no customers at the moment. Bill wore a frown as he walked towards the door that would lead outside as Stanley put some of the money back into the cash register.

Stan looked up a bit and saw the demons glum facial expression. "Hey, what's the big idea?" He asked.

"I didn't steal anything this time, I promise." Bill stated, not giving eye contact as he continued to walk.

"That's not what I'm askin'." Stan said, rolling his eyes.

Bill stopped in his tracks, and turned to face Stan's direction by the door. "Then what?" He asked.

"You've been lookin' pretty upset lately. Did somethin' happen?" Stan questioned.

Bill shrugged and scratched the back of his neck. "I dunno. There's this weird thing going on with me recently, and-" He began, but was stopped when Stan gave a small look of horror.

"Oh _jeez,_ you're not goin' through some sort of man-puberty, are you?" Stan asked, extending his arms out slightly and turning his head away.

"Wha- h-huh? No!" Bill exclaimed, giving a look of disgust. "It's about Sixer. He's _really_ distant lately. And it's _really _starting to piss me off." He admitted, clenching his fists slightly.

"Yeah, he does that a lot," Stan said with a shrug. "You get used to it after a while."

"I can't get _used _to him ignoring me!" Bill exclaimed.

Stan shrugged and looked at the demon, setting the money down on the counter. "Well, what else are ya' supposed to do?" He questioned.

"I dunno," Bill muttered. "But I want Fiddlesticks _out!_" He exclaimed, pointing his index finger at the door and glaring. "I'm sick and tired of him getting all the attention from Fordsy!"

"Wait, wait," Stan began. "This is about_ McGucket?_" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"_Yeah!_" Bill exclaimed, glaring.

"Well I'm with ya' on _that._" Stan admitted with a shrug of his shoulders.

"Oh, don't you take that tone with _me, _Fe-" Bill began, until he realized what the other man had said. "Wait, what?"

"What? He's overstayed his welcome in my book, and as far as I'm concerned, He should go back to livin' at his house." Stan stated truthfully. "I didn't say anything about it because, well, i'm not the one who runs the house anymore." He continued, muttering the last bit.

"So," Bill began, folding his arms, "_You_ want him out, and _I_ want him out?" He questioned.

"Yup." Stan muttered with a small shrug. "Too bad we can't do anything about it."

Bill hummed for a moment, looking around the gift shop. "Maybe..," He began, "Maybe we _can _do something about it." He mused with a smirk.

"I'd do _anything _if it means gettin' Fidds out of the shack." Stan stated, folding his arms.

Bill looked at the man with a smirk. "Anything?" He repeated.

Stan put his hands up in front of him when he remembered just _who _he was speaking to. "Alright, alright. _A__lmost _anything." He corrected, rolling his eyes.

Bill snickered. "Relax, Fez. I'm only joking." He stated.

Stan narrowed his eyes. "I'm not sure if I should trust that." He said. Bill just ignored the comment before Stan said, "Whatddya' got?"

"Well," Bill began. "Sixer and McGucket spend a lot of time together, right?"

"Mhm." Stan said, leaning over the counter a bit to listen.

"Sixer says I should 'spend some_ more time_' with Fiddlesticks. So, I'll tell him that I'm willing to spend some time with McGucket, and before he can protest, _you _come in and tell dear ol' Fordsy that you want to go somewhere with him." Bill said with a grin.

"Huh," Stan muttered. "That just might work." He said. "But how does that get Fiddleford outta' the shack?" He asked.

"Aha!" Bill said with a smirk, walking over to the counter and looking Stan in the eyes, narrowing his eyes with his smirk still easy to see. "Double hates!"

"Double _whats?_" Stan asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Double hates!" Bill exclaimed, throwing his arms up in the air. "It's like a double date, but with the person you hate! Me with Fiddlesticks, and you with Sixer!" He said with a grin.

Stan rolled his eyes. "I don't hate my brother." He stated.

"And your customers don't hate your high prices." Bill said.

"They're customers for a reason, aren't they?" Stan defended, shrugging his shoulders innocently.

"Whatever, do we have a plan or not? You drive wherever we go, and drop him off at his house when we're going back to the shack." Bill said. "Oh! And make sure that Fiddlesticks is in the passengers seat, I want to get some payback on Ford for all the times he's let _that guy _sit in the passengers seat and not me." He added, folding his arms and looking away with a small frown on his face.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "You _do _realize that if I'm drivin' and McGucket's up in front, you and Ford'll be in the back_ t__ogether._"

Bill shrugged unbothered by the condition, but Stan continued. "I mean, _literally together. _I've got some stuff I've gotta' drop off, and it's gonna take up a seat." He said. "Well, I _could _just put the bags in-between the seat and separate the two of ya'-"

"No!" Bill exclaimed, which grabbed Stan's attention in a confused way. Bill chuckled slightly at his immediate reaction. "Uh, you don't have to do that. I-I hate the seats by the windows. The sun always gets in my eyes." He lied, squinting his eyes for show.

Stan narrowed his eyes, but shrugged. "Whatever." He muttered, "I guess this thing's worth a try. But whatever we're doin' is coming out of your paycheck."

"I don't work at the gift shop." Bill reminded.

"Ya' do now." Stan stated, putting a familiar blue and white hat on top of his head.

Bill took the hat off his head and chucked it across the room, scoffing. "Ugh, that's one of those stupid hats that _pine tree _wears. I refuse to wear that to work." He stated, folding his arms and glaring at Stan.

"Aha! So you accept the job!" Stan said with a wide grin. "Work starts tomorrow."

Bill felt the urge to protest, but decided against it, as he would probably still be expected to work at the shack anyway. "Sure, Fez," He muttered. "Let's go talk to Sixer and Fidds." He said, and the two walked into the living room.

When they walked back into the living room, Stanford and McGucket were still speaking, but they were standing up rather than sitting on the couch. Bill walked up to Ford as Stan pretended to mind his own business.

"Hey, Fordsy!" Bill said with a grin. As if he had been completely ignored and not noticed, Ford and McGucket continued conversation as if they hadn't been interrupted. Bill raised an eyebrow, and snapped his fingers in front of Ford's face. The other man didn't notice the behavior. He didn't even flinch. Instead, he just chuckled at something Fiddleford had said, and began to speak about something science-related.

"Sixer?" Bill questioned, snapping his fingers in the other man's face again.

And again.

And _again. _

Bill was jumping in front of Ford's face, clapping and snapping his hands in front of the man to get his attention, but nothing worked. It was as if Bill wasn't even _there. _As if he were a ghost that Stanford and Fiddleford were unable to see.

Stan noticed the situation and glared. "Hey, _pointdexter!_" He shouted, clenching his fists.

Ford turned to face Stan, raising an eyebrow. "What is it, Stanley?" He asked with a small smile.

"You're not listenin' to Bill." Stan stated, putting his hands on his hips.

"Huh? Ford asked, and looked to the side of him, flinching and exclaiming in surprise when Bill was standing right beside him. "Oh!" He exclaimed. "I'm so sorry. What is it, Bill?" He questioned, remorse on his face.

"I wanna talk to Fiddlesticks for a while." Bill said with a shrug. "I've been thinking about you said for, oh,_ three months_ now, and I've decided that I want to talk to him alone for a bit. That cool?" He asked with a grin.

Ford shrugged and sighed. "I don't know, Bill. Maybe you and Stan could bond while we talk for a little while longer-"

"No need!" Stan exclaimed with a grin plastered along his face, seeing his place in the plan beginning. "How's about we take some time out doing brotherly-bonding type stuff? Ya' know, go and eat at the diner or somethin'!" He said, resting his elbow on Ford's shoulder and leaning against it gently.

"Stan, not right-" Ford began, but was interrupted by his brother.

_"What,_ you're gonna spend_ more_ time with the same guy you've been talkin' to every damn day for three months rather than spendin' some time with your own _brother?" _Stan asked, acting offended.

Bill nodded at Stan's statement. "Gotta say, that's pretty cold hearted of you, Stanford!" He said, shaking his head in shame to guilt trip the man.

Ford sighed. "Well, I suppose I wouldn't mind a bit of-"

"Perfect!" Stan said, putting his hand on Ford's back and guiding him out of the living room. "Let's go talk for a while, then we could all go!"

"My, what a _lovely _idea, Fez!" Bill agreed suspiciously with a smile.

Fiddleford raised an eyebrow. "What just happened?" He asked.

Bill shrugged innocently. "I call it separation. But you can call it something else if you'd like."

"What?" McGucket asked.

Bill looked over to make sure Stan had taken Ford somewhere else before glaring at McGucket. "Alright, Fiddlesticks. Consider this a warning. You're around Ford a _lot. _And he hardly realizes that it's been _three months!" _Bill stated.

"Well," Fiddleford tried, but Bill put his hand out, signaling that he wasn't finished speaking.

"Now, I can understand your little..._crush _on Sixer, because-" Bill continued, but stopped himself before giving certain information away. "Because I know you two were good friends in the past. But things have changed around here, Fidds, and I'm not letting _you _replace _me_." Bill said, glaring with his hands on his hips.

"I don't really like getting into arguments," Fiddleford began, "But I know that you don't have control over me or where I stand with Stanford." He said.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "We'll see about that." He stated, leaving the room to head over to the kitchen.

In the kitchen, Stan and Ford were sitting at the table, speaking. Bill pointed behind him with his thumb, signaling that it would be best to head into to town before it got too late. Stan nodded, understanding, and pretended to listen to whatever Stanford had been babbling about.

Ford looked over at the doorframe and saw Bill standing there. He got up out of his seat and gave a remorseful smile. "Are you okay?" He asked, even though he was sure he knew the answer.

Bill shrugged as if there was nothing bothering him. "Yeah." He said, looking away.

Ford sighed and put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "Look Bill, I'm sorry for not spending much time with you recently. In fact, I'm positive I owe you more than an apology." He said, muttering the last bit.

Bill shrugged once more and leaned against the wall. "Don't worry about it, Sixer. It was only three months." He said in a manner that really guilt tripped Stanford, _again. _

Ford looked down at the ground in shame at how easily he had let time slip by so fast. _How has it been three months already? How do I make up for something like this? I completely ignored him, as if he wasn't there. _

"Heh, you must feel like a real jerk, huh pointdexter?" Stan asked, walking up to Ford and patting him on the back rather roughly before leaving the kitchen. Ford gave Stan a glare as his brother left the room, even though Ford knew he deserved it.

"We'll spend some time at the diner," Ford assured Bill. "I promise."

Bill looked into the other man's eyes and nodded. They looked at each other for a moment, and Bill got some sort of feeling that humans were supposed to kiss at times like these. He shut his eyes and leaned in by Ford's face, but Stanford gave him a pat on the shoulder and left the kitchen before he got the chance.

"Alright, pointdexter," Stan began as soon as he saw Ford leave the kitchen. Stan and McGucket were standing next to each other by the door, waiting for the others. "You ready to go?" He asked.

Ford nodded. "Yes, I'm ready. Fiddleford?" He asked, looking at the man mentioned.

"Ready!" McGucket exclaimed with a grin.

"You sure you're not forgettin' any of your stuff?" Stan asked Fiddleford.

"Nope!" Fiddleford responded as Bill left the kitchen, meeting the other three by the door.

Stan shrugged, and the four headed out the front door. Bill narrowed his eyes when McGucket walked beside Ford, but didn't make a big deal out of it. Stan went to the drivers seat before his brother could take it. Ford walked over to the passengers seat, but when he opened the car door, Stan put his hand out on the seat. "You're not sittin' up here, Ford." Stan stated.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Mind explaining why not?" He asked.

"McGucket's sittin' up front." Stan informed.

Fiddleford exclaimed in joy and hopped into the passengers seat. Ford rolled his eyes and went to the back seat. He chose to sit on the left side of the car by the window.

Just as Bill had been told, there were some bags taking up the other window seat which were handy, as he could use it as an excuse in case he needed one. He ended up sitting in the middle of the back seat, which he didn't complain about. In a matter of minutes, the car was on the road.

"So," Stan began. "Are you and Fidds back together yet?" He asked, looking at Ford through the mirror up front before looking back on the road.

Fords eyes widened at the question and he was quick to shake his head. "What?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "No, why would you think that?" He asked.

Stan shrugged. "Well, he was cuddlin' against ya' the other day when the two of you were watchin' tv, so I thought you got back together or somethin'." Stan said with a shrug.

Bill shot a glare towards Fiddleford, but the man it was directed to didn't notice the look that was given. Ford, however, saw the look on Bill's face and felt a wave of guilt pass by him. He just hoped Bill understood that it wasn't a romantic type of gesture of any kind.

"I can assure you, Stanley," Ford began, his voice firm. "We're not in a relationship."

_Not yet. _Bill thought to himself.

_Not yet. _Fiddleford thought to himself.

"Not yet!" Stan said, laughing hysterically at his statement. Ford rolled his eyes at his brother, and Bill glared out the window, folding his arms and turning away from the man sitting beside him.

Stanford looked at Bill and saw him looking away, clearing upset. He gently rested his hand on Bill's shoulder, which Bill only jerked away.

Stanley could notice the silence in the car other than his laughter, and he sighed. "Look, sorry pointdexter. You know I've gotta' make a joke outta' what I got, ya' know?" He said with a shrug, still smiling.

"Yes, you've said that your entire life, Stanley." Ford muttered.

Fiddleford looked over at Stan and said, "What about you, Stan? Do you have a love interest?"

Stan looked forward, shrugging and saying, "I'm not gonna answer that."

"So you do?" Fiddleford questioned.

"Oh, look! We're at the diner!" Stan exclaimed frantically, making a sudden turn and driving through a rather large bush to get to the diner faster. The branches in the bush hit against the car roughly as he drove faster.

Fiddleford smiled wide, throwing his arms up in the air and exclaiming "Whee!" during the moment.

Fords eyes widened and he grunted at his brother's stupidity. "Stan, what the hell are you doing?" He exclaimed, giving a confused gesture.

Bill looked up front at the windshield and smirked, pushing his frustration aside and laughing. "_Drive faster,_ Fez!" He exclaimed, leaning over in his seat to look closer at the windshield. "Yeesh, this bush is huge!"

"Don't go faster, slow down!" Ford exclaimed, putting his hands in his hair. "You're gonna scratch up the paint on the car!"

"Oh, don't be such a killjoy, Sixer!" Bill scolded, glaring at him for a moment before smiling again and laughing.

Ford groaned and tilted his head back, annoyed at how badly the car would be damaged after this.

"Woohoo!" Fiddleford exclaimed, laughing along hysterically.

Stan squinted his eyes and said, "The driveway's up ahead, hold onto somethin' if you don't want a concussion!" He exclaimed. Bill and McGucket did as told, and Ford ducked his head under his arms as he hung onto the shoulders of the passengers seat. There was a large ramp at the end of the bush, and when Stan drove out of the bush, he didn't have time to realize the ramp was there until the car was being shot up at _least _8 feet in the air.

Bills eyes widened and he leaned over by Ford to look through his window. He looked out the window and grinned when he saw that the car was off the ground. "Woah!" He exclaimed.

Ford looked up and out his window as well, looking down and glaring. _"Stanley!_" He shouted, glaring at his brother.

"We're goin' down, brace yourselves!" Stan exclaimed as the car began to fall. Bill laughed a viscous laugh as the vehicle came down, and Fiddleford exclaimed in alarm.

"We're gonna die!" McGucket shouted, afraid.

"Oh, don't be such a baby!" Stan shot at Fiddleford.

"At least we're gonna die doing something awesome!" Bill said with a grin, not opposed to the situation one bit...

...until he noticed how fast the car was _really _falling.

_Okay, okay, maybe this isn't such a good thing after all... _Bill thought to himself. "Stan, maybe you should listen to Sixer and slow the car down now!" He exclaimed, his hands suddenly shaking frantically.

Ford desperately wanted to make a 'Wouldn't be the first time I'm correct' type of comment, but he looked over and noticed Bills hands shaking. Ford raised an eyebrow. _His hands were shaking like this back at the police station. Maybe this is how his fear is presented. _Ford didn't know, but he saw Bills frightened look on his face beginning to show as well.

"How am I supposed to slow this car down? And anyways, we're landin'!" Stan exclaimed.

Bill's hands continued to shake in his lap, and Ford could tell by his facial expression that he was truly afraid. In the heat of the moment, Ford wrapped his arms around Bill and pulled him close, embracing him in a protective manner. Bill grabbed onto Ford's sweater desperately and rested his head on his chest, squinting his eyes shut and shaking as the car hit the ground.

_CRASH! _

There was dust surrounding the car windows. There were multiple groans of pain from inside the car, however no one was terribly injured save a few forming bruises here and there. Fiddleford pinched himself on the arm to make sure he was still living. "We're alive!" Fiddleford exclaimed, smiling thankfully.

As if Bill had never been scared, he pulled away from Stanford and threw his arms up in the air, exclaiming, "That was _awesome!_"

Ford rolled his eyes at Bill's statement, and Stan laughed hysterically. "You said it, Cipher!" Stan encouraged with a nod of his head. Stan, Bill, and Ford were quick to get out of the vehicle, Stanford looking at the damage inflicted on the car. When the other three got out of the car, Fiddleford looked around while he was still inside the car to make sure no one was watching him. He slipped a small microphone out of his pocket and placed it under one of the seats in the car before getting out as well.

"Ha!" Stan exclaimed. "We're all in one piec-!" He exclaimed, put was stopped in his sentence when Ford gave him a harsh punch to the face. Stan held onto his face, raising an eyebrow at his brother. "Hey, what was that for?" He asked.

"You could have gotten us all _killed!_" Stanford shouted, clenching his fists and glaring. "Do you have _any _idea how _dangerous _that stunt was?" He asked.

"Hey, it was just a little harmless fun, pointdexter." Stan defended.

"Harmless? _Harmless?_" Ford repeated, his glare growing. "Are you _kidding me? _Look at the car!"

Stan looked over at the car and chuckled. "It looks just like the old one now! I don't know what you're complainin' about." He said with a shrug.

"Hey, you're right!" Bill commented, folding his arms. "It looks a lot like the old one."

"See?" Stan said, extending his arms and pointing them towards Bill. "Even the terrorist agrees with me!" He said, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford narrowed his eyes at the words spoken and clenched his teeth together. "Call him a terrorist again, Stanley." He dared, clenching his fists.

"Stan?" A strange yet familiar voice called out. Stan raised an eyebrow and looked around him, not seeing anyone. He looked by the entrance of the diner and saw Susan Wentworth standing by the door.

Stan's eyes widened and he adjusted his hat, clearing his throat. "Susan?"

The woman nodded. "How was your fishing trip with your twin brother?"

"Uhh," Stan muttered, scratching the back of his neck and looking away. "Plans changed." He responded.

"Well, let's talk about it!" Lazy Susan said with a smile. "Come on in!" She encouraged, holding the door open.

With that, the four entered the diner. Stan and Ford sat next to each other on one side, Bill and Fiddleford sitting beside each other on the other side. Bill and McGucket looked at each other for a moment and narrowed their eyes. Susan sat beside Stan. Stanley moved over for her to have room, and the side of Ford's face was pressed against the window. Stanford rolled his eyes, but decided not to speak.

"So what did you end up doing when you didn't go fishing?" Lazy Susan asked.

Stan shrugged. "Well, I got some side effects from stuff, and got some amnesia once and a while. Still get it from time to time, but it's nothin' serious." He informed, taking a sip from the water glass in front of him.

"Side effects?" Susan questioned. "From what?"

"Uhh," Stan muttered, tapping his fingers on the table for a moment. "Hit my head on somethin'. My nerdy brother said it was 'nurro-lock-pick-all amnesia'." Stan said, making a quote-unquote gesture with his fingers.

"Neurological amnesia." Ford corrected.

"Potato Tomato." Stan said, waving his hand dismissively.

Ford raised an eyebrow and looked at his brother. "That doesn't make sense, Stanley." He muttered.

"Who's Stanley?" Lazy Susan repeated, confused. Clearly she hadn't been informed about Stan's false name from the past. "Stanford, what's your brother talking about?"

Ford ran a hand through his hair nervously, not used to being addressed by people he didn't know well. "Some days I don't know what he's talking about...-" Ford muttered, until he realized that Susan wasn't_ intentionally_ addressing him. "Wait- Stan, you didn't tell her?" He asked, surprised and annoyed.

"You_ expected_ me to?" Stan asked, looking at his brother.

"I_ told you_ by the end of the summer that I would get my_ house_ back, get rid of your whole _'Mystery Shack'_ setup, _and _that I would get my_ name_ back!" Ford stated, looking at Stan.

"Well, you let me stay in your house, and the Mystery Shack is still up and runnin', I didn't think the whole name change thing needed to be addressed to everyone in Gravity Falls!" Stan said, folding his arms. "I figured if you wanted everyone to know that you're the_ real_ Stanford, you'd just tell em' yourself!"

Ford grunted at his brothers statement. "You_ know_ I'm an introvert, Stanley..!" He pointed out, slouching down in his seat slightly.

"Still?" McGucket asked, raising an eyebrow before taking a drink from his water glass.

Bill rolled his eyes at Fiddleford. "It's not like it's some sort of thing that wares off, Fiddlesticks." He said, glaring.

"As confused as I am right now, I'll go get you all some of my famous blackberry pie!" Lazy Susan said, walking away from the booth without saying another word. Ford pushed Stan away to the other side of the seat to get some more room.

Bill cleared his throat after watching the lady leave, and turned to look at Ford. "Have you ever met her, Sixer?" He asked, confused.

Ford shook his head slightly. "Not that I can remember." He responded.

"Yea' you have, Stanford." Fiddleford said. "Remember that night at the karaoke bar?"

Ford hummed in thought, not recalling the exact night that Fiddleford was talking about. "Which time?" He asked.

"That night when Susan first got together with her boyfriend, and when we first got together that same night. Then we did that karaoke contest against each other. Ya' know, couple against couple?" Fiddleford said, shrugging.

Stanford nearly choked on the water that he had been drinking as Fiddleford explained. He was quick to swallow the water in his mouth down his throat before the water could go down into his lungs. He coughed and hacked, clenching a fist and placing it on the table as he pounded his chest to stop the coughing. Stanley grunted and slapped his brother on the back, causing his cough to slow.

Ford looked around him and noticed half the people in the diner looking at him. He cleared his throat and tapped his fingers on the booth table awkwardly, trying to ignore the people staring. "Thanks, Stanley." He muttered, running a hand through his hair and sighing. "Yes, I remember that that night quite well." He confirmed to the man who had explained the night.

"And then after the night we-" McGucket continued, but was stopped when Ford nodded frantically.

"_Yes._" Ford confirmed with a quick nod of his head. "Yes, yes. I remember-"

"Went home and-" Fiddleford continued.

"I remember-" Ford stated, his voice firm.

The booth was silent for a moment, and the only things audible around them were the other people in the diner having their own separate conversations. As the booth was silent, Fiddleford finally said, "...canoodled!"

Stan let out a loud "Hah!" And grinned ear to ear at his brother. "_Canoodled!_ What else did ya' do with him Sixer, _swive?_" He asked, raising his eyebrows up and down a couple times at Ford in a jokingly manner.

"How did you know?" Fiddleford asked, laughing along with Stan.

Ford groaned and hid his face behind one of his hands, shaking his head slowly. _Why? _

"If I'm bein' honest," Fiddleford continued, "I kinda miss the ol' days." He admitted with a shrug. Bill clenched his fists under the table, fighting the urge to inflict violent gestures to the man sitting beside him.

Stan looked over at his brother and raised an eyebrow, a wide smirk on his face. "_Woah-ho-hooa!_ Whatddya' gonna say to _that, pointdexter?" _He questioned.

"Uhm..," Ford muttered, looking down at the table and avoiding eye contact with anyone at the booth.

"What's that I see?" Stanley began with a smirk. "Hey, it might just be my ancient eyes, but it looks like you're _blushin'_ over there, bro!" Stan joked, snickering and smacking his brother on the back playfully. Ford grunted and glared at his brother before looking back at the table in humiliation.

McGucket stood up and took a step back away from the booth "I'll be right back." He informed, and walked away to the restroom.

Bill watched him leave and narrowed his eyes, finding this as a good time to confront the man. He looked back at Stan and said, "Yeah, me too." before standing up.

Stan shrugged, and Bill left the booth to go speak to Fiddleford privately. Stanley looked at his brother and sighed. "Look Ford, as your twin brother i'm required by sibling _law _to joke about ya' whenever an opportunity comes."

"I can tell." Ford muttered, running a hand through his hair and sighing.

Bill narrowed his eyes as he walked directly behind and pushed open the door to the restroom, seeing the man he was going to confront. He took McGucket by the wrists in his right hand, and pushed him up against the wall with force. Fiddleford tried to shout in fear at the sudden gestures as he looked into the demons eyes, but Bill put his hand over the others mouth.

"Alright Fiddlesticks, listen here and listen _good_," Bill began, glaring at McGucket in a serious manner. "I've heard _enough_ of your lovey-dovey past with Sixer, it's getting annoying as hell. In fact, the only person actually finding it amusing besides yourself is Stanley!" He said, the glare still clear on his face.

Fiddleford tried to squirm away, but Bill made _sure_ that he stayed in place until his rant was finished. "Oh, who am I kidding? Stan's only making a joke out of it to humiliate his brother. So _congratulations_ on getting _laid_ by Ford in the past, but that was over 30 years ago. If you haven't noticed, I don't think he's still into you. He's moved on, Fidds! I think it's time you do the same."

"Mu dnft nuwh thrt." Fiddleford responded, narrowing his eyes.

Bill rolled his eyes. "You should really speak a bit more clearly." He stated.

Fiddleford looked down at the hand that was being forced over his mouth, and looked back at Bill, unamused by his statement.

"Do us all a favor, Fiddlesticks." Bill continued, "Do your_ own_ thing, Mind your _own_ life, and back off _my_ Sixer!" He spat, narrowing his eyes and glaring.

McGucket raised an eyebrow. "Yfr Simzr?" He repeated, confused.

"_My_ Sixer." Bill confirmed in a whisper. He let go of Fiddlefords shoulders and took a step back, folding his arms and glaring.

McGucket rubbed one of his shoulders at the pain, and looked at Bill. "I-I'm not afraid of you, Cipher." He said.

Bill chuckled mockingly and rolled his eyes. "Your trembling knees tell me otherwise." He said. "I'm finished ranting. Next time won't be a warning. You got it?" He asked, pointing a finger at him.

As much as Fiddleford wanted to argue with the rant, he decided to just agree with the demon in hopes of him leaving. The last thing he wanted was to get hurt and then have to explain why. So, he just nodded at the question. "Ye', I-I got it." He said, backing up slightly and putting his hands out in front of him.

"Good." Bill said, and opened the door to head back to the booth. McGucket sighed in relief when the man left. _I'd say I have competition, but I'm really not too worried about this. I already know Stanford wouldn't have any feelings for that demon in his right mind. _

Bill unclenched his fists when he walked back to the booth, and when he did he noticed that Stanley and Stanford were arguing over if stones or rocks skipped better in water when you threw one.

"Small stones, such as pebbles, have more of a flat surface on the bottom making it easier for it to skip across the water!" Ford stated, running a hand through his hair and clenching his fist on the tabletop.

"Large rocks are more _threatening_ to the water, so the ocean'll just _give up_ and let the rocks travel on top of it!" Stan shot back, slamming his fist down on the table in protest.

Bill rolled his eyes at the conversation. "Is this the kind of stuff you old folk argue about when your lives get boring?" He questioned.

Stan shook his head and shrugged. "Nah, I would talk about me commiting donut theft the other day, but I don't think pointdexter wants to hear about more stuff that's goin' on his law record." He said, adjusting his fez hat.

Ford groaned and ran a hand through his hair. "Stan, will you ever give up your _obvious_ enjoyment of crime?" He asked, folding his arms.

"Hmm," Stan hummed, acting as if he was deciding an answer. He grinned ear to ear as his eyes separated away from each other. "Nope!" He exclaimed, hands on his hips.

Bill snickered and looked at Stan's brother, who was looking out the window as a cat ran past. Bill looked back at Stan, saying, "So, what's the plan with Fiddlesticks, fez?" He asked.

Stan raised an eyebrow, unsure of what the man was asking. Bill rolled his eyes and kicked Stan's ankle from under the table, glaring with his eyes wide open. Stan grunted and he realized what was going on. "Oh, right." Stan muttered, "Uh, McGucket told me he wants to go home instead of doin' this." He said with a shrug.

"When did he say that?" Stanford asked, turning to look at his brother and suddenly engaging in the conversation.

Stan just smirked at the question. "He told me when you were over in the back seat screamin' your head off at me." He said with a shrug. Bill snickered and looked out the window.

"You're exaggerating on that last bit." Ford stated, pointing a finger at Stanley. "And it's likely he was speaking about the current situation at that time, not-"

"Nope!" Stan exclaimed again. "I know what I heard, pointdexter." He stated, with a nod of his head. "Didn't ya' hear him say that too, Bill?" He asked.

Bill raised an eyebrow, looking back at Stan in a confused manner. Stanley rolled his eyes and kicked Bill from under the table in the same manner that the demon had done to him. Bill flinched suddenly and was quick to nod. "Oh, right!" He exclaimed, smiling innocently. "Yeah, I heard him say that." He confirmed.

Ford hummed in suspicion, but didn't have time to say anything about it when Fiddleford showed up at the booth. Stan stood up quickly and said. "Well, the other one's back. Time to head back to the car!" He exclaimed. With that, Stan and Bill rushed over to the door. Bill held the door open as Stan left the diner. Fiddleford raised an eyebrow in confusion.

"What're we doin'?" McGucket questioned, walking over to the door.

"We're leaving!" Bill said with a grin. "Just like you wanted." He said.

Ford headed out the door to get back to the car, and Fiddleford shook his head. "W-wait, I never said I wanted to lea-" He stated, but was cut off when Bill balanced his arm over McGuckets shoulder, covering the smaller man's mouth with his hand.

"Yeah you did, Fidds!" Stan argued. "Remember?"

Fiddleford shook his head slowly as Bill took his hand away from his mouth so that he could speak again. McGucket just shrugged. "N-no, I don't." He admitted.

"Hm," Stan hummed for a moment as he opened his car door. "Must be some sorta' side effect from all the times you erased your memory with that memory gun of yours." He assumed.

"You knew 'bout that?" Fiddleford questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Stan nodded and got into the drivers seat of his car. "Of course I knew, the twins tell me more than you'd think they would." He informed.

"I still don't know if there would be any side effects..." Fiddleford muttered to himself as he opened the door to the passengers seat.

Stanford opened the back seat's door, and Bill stepped inside. Ford sat down beside him and shut the door as Stan started up the car.

"Radio?" Stan asked, looking at McGucket and the others behind him.

Fiddleford and Stanford shrugged, and Bill nodded. "Sure." He said, leaning back and folding his arms.

Stan pressed the radio button after getting on the road, and the last radio station that had been playing came on. The station was playing a synthesized pop song with electric instruments easy to hear. Bill cringed at the specific type of music and clasped his hands over his ears, squinting his eyes and kicking his legs frantically. "Ah! Turn it off!" He exclaimed in agony.

Ford looked over in concern and raised an eyebrow. "Bill, what's going on?" He asked, putting a hand on the frantic man's shoulder to give a bit of reassurance.

Bill just groaned in response, shaking his head. "The synthesized music! It-it's _terrible!_" He exclaimed, still shaking his head.

Stan rolled his eyes. "All ya' had to do was ask for a different song, yeesh." He stated, turning the car radio's dial to something more pleasant.

Bill didn't trust that the music was switched, so he kept his hands on his ears, all he actually did was open his eyes. Ford looked at him and said, "The music is off, you can take your hands off your ears now." He assured.

Bill shook his head, not trusting the statement. Stanford rolled his eyes and grabbed one of Bill's wrists gently, pulling the arm away from his head. Bill cringed and squinted his eyes, assuming that the music was still playing. To his surprise, he heard a soft guitar song playing on the radio rather than the terrible music that had been playing before. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair awkwardly. "...Oh." He muttered.

Fiddleford laughed from the front seat, amused by the reaction. Bill glared over at the man and clenched his fists by his sides. "Can it, Fiddlesticks!" He demanded.

"Sorry, sorry," Fiddleford said, still chuckling between his words. "I just- you act so_ fearless_ and then act like a child when you don't like a certain type of music." He said, rolling his eyes with a smile on his face and facepalming, still laughing.

Bill growled and extended his fist up in front of him, unbuckling his seatbelt. There was a look on Bill's face that told Ford he was going for violence. Bill moved forward in a quick motion to get up to the front seat to strangle Fiddleford, but was stopped halfway when Ford grabbed onto Bill's waist to stop him from moving; and to stop the behavior planned. Stanford pulled him back over to the back seat, rolling his eyes.

Bill sat back down and folded his arms, narrowing his eyes at Ford. "He deserves it!" He stated innocently.

"Violence in a moving vehicle is a _bit_ much, isn't it?" Ford pointed out.

"Not if it's for the greater good." Bill muttered.

Stan smirked, but nodded in agreement with his brother. "Yeah, you don't wanna mess the car up more than you already did, do ya'?" He said with a shrug.

"_You_ were driving!" Bill and Ford stated in unison. Stan just rolled his eyes, deciding not to make a comment back.

The car drive continued for a couple minutes with not much talking, as everyone seemed to be occupied with something. With Stan driving, Fiddleford looking out his window, Bill plotting his revenge on McGucket, and Stanford writing down a few notes on a notepad that he kept in his lab coat, no one had much to say. The car took a turn to the right to head up the mountain that Fiddleford's house was up on.

McGucket noticed the mountain and raised an eyebrow, looking at Stan. "Why're we goin' here?" He asked, confused.

"I got some stuff I gotta' drop off." Stan informed.

Bill smirked, surprised Stan was _actually _going with his plan. He never realized how Stan could be if you got on his good- well, _not bad _side. Bill knew that Stan still held a grudge against him, but Bill didn't expect otherwise.

The car got to the top of the hill, and the car was parked in front of the gates of McGucket's house.

"W-wait," Fiddleford began, even more confused now. "Why are we here?" He asked.

Ford raised an eyebrow, also confused. "Stanley told me that you wanted to go back home, did you not?" He asked. While he asked McGucket the question, Bill reached over Ford and extended his arm as far as he could reach, just barely grabbing hold of Fiddleford's car door handle. He put force into it, the pain in his arm stinging slightly at the massive stretch, and Fiddleford's car door opened as much as it could possibly go.

"I never said I wanted to go home." Fiddleford told Ford, both of them confused.

"You didn't?" Bill asked, acting as if he was concerned. When Bill gave that comment, Fiddleford instantly realized that it was Bill who had set this all up.

"N-no.., I didn't." Fiddleford stated, turning around and narrowing his eyes at Bill. Ford noticed the look on Fidds face and looked at Bill with an eyebrow raised. Bill looked back at Ford and just shrugged innocently. Stanley reached over and unbuckled Fiddleford's seatbelt, unbuckling his own as well.

McGucket shook his head, still confused. "I thought I was goin' back to the Mystery Shack with the rest of ye'-"

Fiddleford continued but was stopped when Stanley leaned against his car door, grabbing onto the wheel for support and, quite _literally,_ kicked Fiddleford out of the car with both his feet, pushing him out of the car and exclaiming, "Nope!" with a wide grin.

Fiddleford hit the ground and rubbed his head, groaning slightly. Stan leaned over to look at Fiddleford, making sure he didn't 'break the old guy's hip'.

Ford's eyes shot open and he looked over at McGucket. "Dammit, Stanley!" He exclaimed, smacking Stan at the back of his head. "Are you okay, Fiddlefo-?" He tried, but was stopped when Stan grinned over at Fiddleford.

"See ya'!" Stanley exclaimed, grabbing the passenger seat door and slamming it. He adjusted his hat and buckled his seatbelt before pulling out of the driveway. When Fiddleford stood up, he had a clear view of Bill looking at him with a smirk, waving slowly and mockingly. He responded to the gesture with a glare as McGucket clenched his fists.

"Yeesh," Stan began as they drove down the mountain. "That was one hell of a stunt, huh? Coulda' broken somethin', or pulled...what were they called? Hamperings?"

"Gotta admit, fez. That was pretty badass!" Bill praised with a nod of his head.

Ford was glaring down at the ground, clearly enraged. "_Seriously?_" He exclaimed, looking at Bill with a glare.

Bill tilted his head, confused. "Seriously..,_ what_?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You're going to praise this behavior?" Ford asked Bill. He then looked at his brother. "You could have _badly _injured him, Stanley!" He exclaimed, still glaring.

"Hey, don't go yellin' at_ me_, pointdexter!" Stan shot back. "You're the one who's been wastin' all your time with him! It's getting annoying losing every game of poker to Bill." He stated.

"Yeah," Bill agreed. "I really need some better competition." He noted aloud to himself. Stanley glared after hearing the comment, but decided not to say anything about it since Bill was proceeding to speak. "Have we gotten too boring for you, Sixer?" He asked.

"No!" Ford exclaimed. "Fiddleford and I have really needed this time to catch up. I'll admit, I didn't may as much attention to how _much_ time went by. I'm sorry." He said, truth in his voice.

Stan hummed for a moment. "Yeah, time flies when you're canoodlin' with your ex." He stated. He snickered to himself silently. "Oh boy, I should really start sayin' that word more often. Canoodling, _hah!" _

"Please don't." Bill muttered, anamused.

"It's very displeasing." Ford agreed, shaking his head.

"Seriously though," Stan continued. "Are you and Fidds back together? I mean, the two of ya' really seem to admire each other-"

_"Stop!" _Bill and Ford exclaimed in unison. The two men looked at each other for a split second. Bill grunted and folded his arms, looking out his window and avoiding eye contact with Stanford. Ford exhaled silently and looked out his window with a small frown on his face.

**Oh my gosh, I think this is the longest chapter I've ever written. 12k words in ONE chapter? I feel like that might be a little extreme, and I'm so sorry if the length was bothersome. I had a LOT that I needed to cram into this chapter in order for the next chapter to play out how I've planned. Again, I apologize if the word count of this chapter was annoying.**

**I had to rewrite the very end of this chapter so many times... there was this weird thing going on with the website and it wouldn't let me log out, log in, save my work, anything like that. So anything past Stan saying how 'losing every poker game to Bill was getting annoying' I had to rewrite about ten times. It was worth it, though! I'm just glad to have finished the chapter. **

**What do you think Fiddleford will think of Stanley literally _kicking_ him out of the car and _ditching_ him like that? I suppose you'll just have to wait and see :3**


	27. Players get petrifying poems

**Did anyone get confused by the chapter name? ****If you did, have some deer teeth! **

**(I actually like the way the chapter name turned out, it relates well with the events in this chapter :3)**

**Well, here's chapter 30!**

The ride home to the Mystery Shack was extremely quiet. The strange thing about car trips is that they're either filled with conversation, or very, very quite. When they got back to the Mystery Shack, Stanley parked the car where the car was usually parked. Before Bill and Ford got out of the car, Stan stopped them by turning around in his seat and putting a hand up.

"Alright, what's up with the silence?" Stan asked, looking at both of them.

Bill looked at Ford and narrowed his eyes. Stanford looked at Stan and shrugged as he spoke. "I don't like thinking back on my past relationship with Fiddleford. It's a very long story that I would rather _not_ get into." He admitted, looking away.

"I have enough patience to listen for a little while." Stan said, unbuckling his seat belt to turn around completely and wrapping his arms around the top of the seat.

"I don't." Bill stated, and opened the car door past the seat with the bags to leave. He was quick to shut the door and head to the shack's front door.

Stan turned his head to look at Bill as he walked up the steps. "Hah, idiot!" He said with a mocking laugh. "He needs the keys to the house if he wants to get in-" He said, but was rather surprised when he had gotten into the house by simply twisting the doorknob.

Ford looked over at Bill as he entered the shack, then looked over at Stan, clearly annoyed. "You didn't think to lock the door when we left?" He asked, folding his arms.

"What? I wanted to get to the drivers seat before you did! Because if you got in it first, Cipher wouldn't have been able to get his revenge on 'ya!" He said with a shrug.

"Revenge?" Stanford asked, tilting his head slightly. "What kind of 'revenge'?"

Stan just shrugged. "Well, he said it was 'payback'. I guess he was pissed that you were lettin' Fidds sit up in the front seat all the time instead of him." He said.

Ford rolled his eyes at this. "I'm not surprised." He muttered.

"Don't go soundin' like Dad, Sixer." Stan said, pointing his finger at his brother. "If you start to pick up his whole 'I'm not impressed' thing, I'm out!" He said with a joking grin. "But, _I'm _not impressed that I've been waitin' around in this dang car for you to tell your little love story." Stan added, narrowing his eyes for a moment. He leaned his back on his car door and extended his legs atop the empty passenger seats, practically laying down atop the front seats.

Ford knew that Stan wouldn't settle for hearing about it later, so he ran a hand through his hair before speaking. "Do you remember the first day I was back in Gravity Falls, when I addressed Fiddleford as my old college buddy?" He asked.

Stan nodded, ready to listen to the story.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill was in the living room on the couch, confused as to why Stan and Ford hadn't come inside yet. _Eh, why should I care? _He asked himself. With that, he stood up and pushed the _Employees only _door open to head down to the laboratory. He typed in the code on the vending machine and descended down the stairs.

_I wonder if Question mark has worked on the portal. _Bill thought to himself, however he knew it was unlikely. He knew that when Dipper and Mabel were visiting Gravity Falls, Stanford would tell them to stay up in the shack rather than the basement, and Bill was sure that the rule would apply the same to Soos.

Bill pressed a button and stepped into the elevator. He turned around and pressed the button that would lead him down to the laboratory. As the elevator door closed, he backed up into the corner, holding onto the railing. _I wonder what would happen if I jumped in an elevator when it was moving... _He thought to himself. As the elevator went down, he looked around the elevator randomly, the silence feeling a bit strange to him. He looked beside him at the corner and noticed a small carving.

_Is this that carving Sixer was talking about a few months ago? _Bill wondered. He looked closer at it, squinting his eyes at what was carved into the wood, and finally noticed what it was. Bill scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Of course." He muttered.

The elevator door opened, and Bill stepped out of it, planning on checking out the portal. He walked over to the portal door, turning around to check his surroundings. When he saw no sign of anyone downstairs, he cautiously grabbed hold of the doorknob, stepping inside the room.

He looked up at the portal and wasn't surprised when it was in the same condition as it had been when Stanford had been unconscious. As much as he was considering looking around for some information on the portal project, he knew that Ford would come back inside soon, and he couldn't risk getting caught. It was times like these when Bill wished he was still all-knowing, back when he didn't have to turn to books and notes for help. However, he was glad that Stanford had written down some of the things he had told him in the past, as it may be beneficial to him in the future.

Bill was completely silent for a moment. He couldn't hear a _sound _around him, save the small ringing in his ear. Even though he was down in the basement, the silence was a bit suspicious. He walked over to Stanford's desk and looked up at the security monitors. He couldn't see any signs of Stan or Ford around the shack. Not in Stan's office, not in the living room, not in the kitchen. They were no where to be seen.

Bill hummed and narrowed his eyes at this. _Are they still outside? _He wondered. He wasn't sure, but it seemed like a good opportunity to look around after all. With that, he walked over to the file cabinets and opened the bottom drawer. He got down on his knees and scanned through it with his hands. He didn't find anything relating to what he was looking for, however he couldn't help but admire how well everything was sorted out. _I guess I never noticed the organization when I was frantically searching through these cabinets last time. _He thought to himself.

He closed the first cabinet and searched through the second one. _Nothing. _

Bill then closed the second cabinet and looked through the third one. _Still nothing. _

He stood up and opened the fourth cabinet. He still couldn't find anything involving the process, and his searching seemed useless until-

"Aha!" Bill exclaimed, grinning and holding up a file in front of him. He noticed just how loudly that came out, and he bit his lip, looking around the room cautiously. The room was still silent, and he went back to grinning. He took the file and scanned through it quickly, reading only one or two sentences per page to make sure this was what he was looking for. He saw the word '_portal_' a few times, which was just enough to convince him that this was exactly what he was looking for.

Bill held the manila folder close to him, and was quick to slip it under his shirt to hide it. He folded his arms to keep it from falling out, and headed towards the elevator, not realizing that he had left the top file cabinet open wide.

* * *

"Hah!" Stan exclaimed, grinning at his brother who was still sitting in the back seat of the car. "So, the basic point of the story is that you and Fidds became friends in college, and got together during the portal process?" He asked.

Ford ran a hand through his hair awkwardly, but nodded. "Well yes-"

"And then you got laid!" Stan added with a wide grin.

Stanford rolled his eyes and facepalmed, looking down at the car flooring. "Well-"

"Okay, okay," Stan said, rolling his eyes. "Sorry, _he _got laid. My mistake." He said, shrugging.

"That was over 30 _years_ ago..." Ford muttered, looking out the window, _clearly_ annoyed.

"Ya' know, it's funny," Stan continued, folding his arms and snickering. "All this time, I thought you were a virgin-"

"Can we_ not_ talk about this?" Ford shouted, the question coming out much louder than he had intended. His fists clenched beside him, which didn't go unnoticed by Stan. "I would rather keep the past times_ in the past._" He stated, glaring.

"Woah," Stanley said, putting his arms in front of him slightly. "I didn't mean anythin' by it, pointdexter. Jeez."

Ford shut his eyes and nodded slowly. "Yes, yes, I know. I'm sorry." He muttered, frowning.

"So you're _really _not interested in him?" Stan asked.

Ford shook his head slowly. "I'm more focused on keeping Fiddleford my _friend_, and nothing more than that." He said, speaking truthfully.

Stan hummed for a moment, then shrugged. "Well, even if ya' _did _still love 'im, I'm pretty sure he's taken by a racoon." He said, muttering the last bit.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Come again?" He asked, confused.

"Yeah," Stan said with a shrug. "After Fidds lost his marbles, Mabel told me he got married to a racoon." He informed.

Ford opened his mouth to say something, however he wasn't sure how to respond to something like that. "Uh," He blurted out, "I-I'm sorry, a _racoon_?" He questioned, deeply confused now.

"Yup." Stan muttered, nodding his head in confirmation. "I wouldn't bother judgin' him about it. I mean, no one judges your gayness." He said with a shrug.

Ford rolled his eyes at his brother's words. "Stan, I'm not _gay..._" He stated, folding his arms.

"Well you sure ain't straight." Stan said, chuckling.

Ford wasn't exactly sure what to say to that, but he couldn't help but crack a small smile. "Well, you got me there." He admitted.

"Hey, nothin' wrong with it, Sixer." Stan assured with a shrug. "People are less sensitive about it than they were back when we were in high school." He stated. "Well, the younger people at least." He muttered with a shrug. "We should probably get into the house before Cipher burns the house down."

Ford nodded at the last statement. "You're probably right." He said, grabbing the car door's handle and getting out of the car.

The twins walked up to the shack's front door, and walked inside. They both saw a man fleeing up the stairs at a quick pace. Stan raised an eyebrow, watching Bill run up the stairs without context. "What's he rushin' for?" He asked.

Stanford shrugged. "I'm sure it's nothing to be concerned about." He assured, but wasn't quite sure himself.

"That sounded convincing." Stan said, punching his brother in the shoulder in a joking manner. "I'm gonna go see what's on tv." He said, and walked over to the living room.

Ford nodded slowly, and took a step back as his brother left the room. He grabbed the front door's doorknob from behind and was quick to sneak back outside. He closed the door silently and turned around, trying not to make any noise as he planned to go back to the car. He walked over to the shack's stairs and took a step on the first one, but was quickly surprised when a blonde haired man appeared suddenly in front of him.

"Ah!" Ford exclaimed, slipping back on the steps and falling to the floor.

"Sorry," Bill muttered, putting his hands on his hips.

"How did you get out here so quickly?" Stanford asked in a confused tone, as he got up from off of the floor.

Bill shrugged. "It's better not to ask questions." He stated in a chill manner. "What are you doing out here? You literally _just _got inside." He said, narrowing his eyes slightly.

Ford scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I was going to the car-" He began, but was cut off by the blonde.

"To go get fiddlesticks?" Bill asked with a fake smile, folding his arms. "You can't last _one day _without him anymore, can you?" He asked with a small glare, poking his index finger at the scientists chest, causing him to take a small step back.

"That's not-" Ford tried.

"That's not what?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips. "Oh, _That's not true, Bill! That's not what I was gonna do, Bill!" _He mocked, narrowing his eyes and looking Ford in the eyes. "Because I'm pretty sure it _is, _Sixer!" He stated, a small glare on his face.

"That's not the _point _of me leaving." Ford said, finishing his own sentence. "I had an idea that I wasn't planning on telling you about just yet." He admitted, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill tilted his head, confused now. "What is it?" He asked.

"Well, I figured if Fiddleford was here after we got home from town, then the three of us would go down to the lab and test out the amulet." Stanford informed with a shrug.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Wait, wait. _Amulet? _When the heck did you see an amulet as important?" He questioned.

"That's what I expected you would ask." Ford said with a shrug of his shoulders. "I suppose you'll just have to find out." He stated, walking past Bill and heading towards the car.

_An amulet? He's never even mentioned an amulet. What does he mean? Is it special? What is there to 'test'? _Multiple questions were rushing through Bill's head at the same time. He shook his head and turned around, running towards the car.

"Wait!" Bill exclaimed, rushing over to the car and standing beside the passengers seat. "What would we need Fidds for?" Bill asked.

"Fiddleford was the one who found the amulet." Ford began, "It's only fair to involve him in the project."

Bill hummed. "What do you need to 'test' on the amulet? Is it, like, _magic_ or something?" He asked, opening the car door and sitting in the passengers seat. Ford opened the drivers seat door and stepped inside as well, shutting the door behind him.

"Well," Ford teased as he buckled his seat belt. "As I said before, you'll just have to find out." He said with a smirk.

Bill just scoffed. "Come on, Sixer! Don't be so _infuriating!_" He said, clenching his hands in his hair in annoyance. "I'm like, your best friend!" He reminded.

Ford looked at Bill and raised an eyebrow. "Whoever said that?" He asked in a joking manner that was unreadable.

Bill huffed in an offended manner and folded his arms, looking out the window. Stanford rolled his eyes and chuckled, starting the car.

* * *

Soos and Melody were on their way to yet another doctors appointment. Their child was 6 months in the process, and the gender was still unidentified, after multiple appointments.

Melody looked over at Soos, who was currently driving. "Do you think we'll get an answer this time?" She asked her boyfriend.

Soos shrugged at the question. "I hope so, one would think that you would know the gender after fourteen visits." He said.

"Well, I'm not too worried about knowing as long as our child is healthy." Melody said, a smile on her face.

Soos nodded. "Agreed." He said, turning the corner to enter the clinic's parking lot. Soos and Melody got out of the car after parking, and were quick to check into the lobby.

Soos walked over to the lobby counter to check in, feeling rather impatient to check in for a reason he couldn't quite put his finger on. "Hello," He greeted. "Soos Ramirez and Melod-"

"Yes," The lady at the desk said, an bored look on her face. "Sir, you've visited enough times that _I _remember the two of you. I _never_ remember people who come here." She admitted with a shrug.

"Sorry dude." Soos muttered, chuckling awkwardly.

The lady raised an eyebrow, but decided not to question the way she had been addressed. She pointed to the chairs in the lobby and said, "Please take a seat and wait for Dr. Lutwin to come get you."

"Thank you." Melody said with a smile, as the two walked over to the chairs. Melody and Soos sat next to each other. Melody looked out the window across from her, and Soos looked down at his feet. Beside the chair leg on the carpet floor was a small crystal. It was a light sapphire color, almost like a turquoise color. He raised an eyebrow at the object.

"Melody?" Soos addressed, picking up the crystal.

Melody looked at Soos, tilting her head slightly. "Yeah?"

"Did you drop this?" Soos asked, holding the crystal up in front of her.

Melody shook her head. "No, I didn't. It must have belonged to someone else. Maybe you should give it to the front desk." She suggested with a shrug.

Soos nodded. "Good idea." He said. He stood up and walked over to the front desk. The lady at the front desk looked up from her computer, an unamused look greeting Soos.

"What do you want?" She asked, _clearly _annoyed. "My shift ends in 5 minutes."

Soos held up the crystal for the lady to see. "Did anyone come in with something like this?" He asked. "I found it over by a chair, and I think someone lost it." He admitted.

The woman shrugged. "I didn't see anyone with it," She admitted. "But, hey! Finders keepers, right?" She said with a small smirk. "You can take it, just don't tell my boss." She said.

Soos scratched the back of his neck, unsure of that choice option. "I don't know. Isn't that, like.., stealing?" He asked.

"If the owner cared about the darn thing, they would have come back to get it." The lady pointed out.

Soos hummed, still not sure if taking the crystal was the right thing to do. "I'm not sure if I should take it..." He muttered.

"Well if you don't take it, then it's _my _responsibility. And if it's _my _responsibility, I'm stuck here for another half hour getting the lost thing documented to the clinic's _files!_" She stated in a stern manner, her voice raising in tone as she spoke. "Now are you going to take it or not?" She asked, her fists atop her desk in frustration.

Soos's eyes widened at the woman's reaction. He nodded slowly and tried to smile. "U-um, sure..! Totally, dude!" He stuttered, showing the lady that he put it in his pocket and quickly walking back to his chair.

Melody looked at Soos confused. "What was all that about?" She questioned.

"That lady is pretty frightening when she gets mad." Soos muttered, looking down at his feet once more. "I guess we own a random crystal now..."

"Don't they have a lost and found?" Melody questioned, looking over at the lady at the front desk who was currently typing on her computer.

"It's better not to ask her about it." Soos advised, adjusting his hat. Melody just nodded, clearly confused.

A few moments later, a young woman burst through Dr. Lutwin's office with tears in her eyes. Her husband sped over beside her, handing his girlfriend a tissue which she used to wipe away the forming tears. The woman continued to sob as she attempted to speak. "I-I can't b-believe t-th-is..." She stammered.

Her husband nodded. "I know, I know..." He said, rubbing his wife's back as a small tear formed in his own eye as well.

"I..I just can't b-believe I have to g-get an ab-abortion..." The woman said, shutting her eyes and crying into her husband's shoulder.

"I don't know how something like this could happen," The man muttered. "Our child is...er-_was _six months." He said, sighing.

Melody and Soos looked at each other, alarm and fear on their faces once the saddened couple left the building. Melody bit her lip and looked away, afraid that something would happen to their child as well. Soos noticed Melody's emotions and locked their hands together, using his other hand to place atop hers. "Hey, it's gonna be okay, Melody." Soos assured with a small smile.

"What if it's not..?" Melody muttered, looking at Soos. "What if something has _already_ happened, and-" She questioned, but stopped when Soos shook his head.

"Don't think like that!" Soos said, "I'm sure our kid is okay." He said with a nod of his head.

Melody just shrugged. "I _really _hope so..." She said, looking out the window.

Just then, Dr. Lutwin came out of his office. "Soos and Melody?" He addressed, walking down the small hallway into the lobby.

"That's us!" Soos said, smiling. He was still holding Melody's hand, but the two stood up and walked over to the doctor.

Dr. Lutwin greeted the two, and welcomed them into his office. "Please come in, I don't want to keep you waiting." He said with a small frown.

Melody looked at Soos with fear in her eyes. _He doesn't want to keep us waiting, does that mean something bad? Is something wrong? What if there's bad news? _She asked herself as they walked into the doctors office.

Soos and Melody sat down in chairs, and Dr. Lutwin sat on his spinny-stool. He set down the clipboard that was in his hands atop his desk, and turned towards the couple with his hands clasped together. "I'm afraid I have some unfortunate news..." He said in a slow pace, which only raised the suspense.

_Oh no... _Melody thought to herself. _Bad news, bad news...why does it have to be bad news? _

Dr. Lutwin cleared his throat and sighed. "I'm very sorry to tell you this..." He began. Melody shook her head in fear and closed her eyes, laying her head on Soos's shoulder with a frown on her face.

"I lost the files of your last visit, so we'll have a few extra tests to run today." Dr. Lutwin said with a clumsy smile. "I apologize for the minor inconvenience." He said, grabbing his clipboard.

Melody sighed in relief, and Soos rubbed her shoulder gently to assure her that it would be okay.

* * *

"I'm sorry about what happened earlier," Stanford said to McGucket, who was sitting in the passengers seat of the car. Bill was in the back seat with his arms folded. He wasn't very pleased with Fiddleford coming back to the shack.

"Water under the bridge!" Fiddleford said, waving his hand dismissively.

Ford looked at McGucket for a split second before looking back at the road. "Are you sure? The way Stan kicked you out of the car didn't seem very pleasant." He muttered.

"Aw, it was just a little dam'ge!" Fiddleford assured. "It's not _your _fault." He said with a shrug, watching in front of him as Ford turned onto the Mystery Shack's path.

"You're arm is bruised," Ford stated, still concerned. "Are you sure you weren't hurt elsewhere?" He asked.

Bill scoffed silently. "You might wanna check Fidds for some neuro problems. I'm sure he's got some brain damage somewhere." He muttered.

"_Bill,_" Ford warned, shooting a glare towards the man. Bill just rolled his eyes and looked out the window.

The three got back to the Mystery Shack sooner than they thought the drive would be. When Stanford parked the car, Bill unbuckled his seatbelt, waiting for Fiddleford to get out of the car. McGucket unbuckled his seatbelt and opened his door, taking a step out. That's when Bill grabbed his door and pushed it open with force, the car door slamming right into Fiddleford.

McGucket fell to the ground, exclaiming in pain. Bill rolled his eyes and got out of the car, an innocent look on his face. "Woah!" He began, "You okay?" He asked.

Fiddleford stood up and narrowed his eyes at Bill, not fooled by the careless act. Bill just shrugged his shoulders, looking at Fiddleford with a smirk on his face.

"What was that?" Ford asked. He hadn't seen the innocent when it happened.

"He got hit with the car door." Bill informed, pointing at McGucket.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "How did that happen?" He questioned, confused.

"A little thing called_ gravity,_ Fordsy." Bill said.

Ford nodded slowly. "Right..." He muttered. "Well, we should probably head down to the lab!" He said, shutting his car door and smiling.

Bill nodded, glad the subject had been changed. "Yeah, I wanna see this amulet you were talking about!" He said, walking with Ford to the front door, Fiddleford following behind them.

"Wait," McGucket began. "You told him about the amulet?" He asked Ford.

Stanford nodded. "Yes," He confirmed. "I figured it would be best to have Bill with us, knowing that he's had much more experience with magic his past, especially since I haven't studied these types of things as much as I study other things."

Bill folded his arms and sighed. "I don't know how helpful I'll be, I'm not all-knowing anymore." He said with a sigh.

"I'm sure your magic will still come in handy." Ford assured with a shrug.

"My _magic_?" Bill repeated. "Is that all I'm good for?" He joked, putting his hand on his heart with his mouth open slightly.

Ford rolled his eyes and chuckled. "You_ know_ that's not what I mean." He said.

"True," Bill said with a shrug. "I'm sure I'd be good at a lot of things." He stated, raising his eyebrows in unison with a smirk.

Ford pushed Bill away as he attempted to hide his face, unlocking the front door. Fiddleford looked at Bill and folded his arms, unamused by his statement.

Bill and Fiddleford walked through the door, and Ford shut it behind them. They walked over to the living room to see Stanley watching Tv.

Stan looked over at them as they were passing through, and groaned in annoyance. "You brought 'im back _already_, pointdexter?" He asked, extending his arms out to show his annoyance.

"Yes, we're going to study a magical object." Ford said, nodding.

"I'm not surprised." Stan muttered, looking back at the tv for a moment. It took him a moment to realize what he said, and when he had he facepalmed. "Crap! _I'm_ the one startin' to sound like Dad!" He said, shaking his head.

* * *

"I have the results," Dr. Lutwin informed, looking at Soos and Melody who were sitting down in chairs beside each other. "I'm sorry for the extra tests today." He said.

"It's no trouble, dude." Soos assured.

Melody nodded. "Yeah, I'm just glad the child is alive." She said with a smile. Soos nodded in agreement.

"Well I can assure you that your child is, indeed, alive and healthy." Dr. Lutwin said, grinning. "However the gender is still unidentified, which is peculiar since your child is already six months." He added.

Melody hummed at this. "Couldn't you do a chromosome test?" She questioned.

"I don't think that would be possible for today," Dr. Lutwin responded. "I have another appointment that was scheduled five minutes ago. I'm sure we can get another appointment scheduled over the phone next week, if that's alright with the two of you."

Soos and Melody shrugged in unison, saying, "Sure!"

"Great," Dr. Lutwin said with a smile. "I'll talk to the two of you next week, then." He said, writing a reminder down on his clipboard.

"Thanks for all you've done for us, dude!" Soos said with a smile.

"Yeah, it means a lot to us." Melody said, nodding her head.

Otis shrugged and smiled. "It's what I do, have a nice day." He said. With that, Soos and Melody left his office, walking out the clinic door.

"Did you ever tell Stan?" Melody asked once they got back to the truck.

"What?" Soos asked, raising an eyebrow as he started the car.

"Did you ever tell Stan that you were becoming a dad?" Melody asked.

Soos's eyes widened, surprised that he still hadn't had the bravery to do so. He wasn't sure why he felt different about telling Stan than he had with telling his friends and family, so why hadn't he?

"Um," Soos muttered, chuckling awkwardly. "No, not yet." He admitted.

"I mean, it's no rush," Melody said, shrugging. "Just tell him when you feel comfortable about it." She suggested.

"I know..." Soos muttered. "I just feel like I should have told him by now, don't you think?" He asked.

* * *

When Stanford, Bill, and Fiddleford walked out of the elevator into the laboratory, they wanted to get straight to the amulet process.

"Alright," Stanford began as they walked forward, "The amulet is over by the small desk in front of the portal window. I had it on my regular desk earlier, but figured I use that desk too often and it was possible that it would break." He said, putting his hands behind his back.

"I wanna see!" Bill said, eyes wide. He was clearly curious to see the magical object.

"Well, it's right over the-" Ford said as he extended his arm, but stopped himself when his arm was pointing directly to an open file cabinet. He raised an eyebrow and took a step forward to look inside the file cabinet. "What in the world..?" He muttered, grabbing the sides of the drawer and looking inside.

Bill bit his lip in alarm. _Crap, I forgot to close the file cabinet drawer! _He thought to himself. He didn't want to make anything obvious, so he just raised and eyebrow in the act of pretending to be confused.

"What happened?" Fiddleford asked, looking at Ford.

Stanford hummed in confusion. "The file cabinet was left open. Which is rather peculiar, as I don't remember opening it today." He said. Bill exhaled silently as his hands shook at his sides. He noticed his shaky hands and put them behind his back to hide them.

"Bill," Ford began, closing the file cabinet and looking at the man. "Did you get into the file cabinet at all today?" He asked.

Bill's mouth was hanging open slightly as he tried to speak. He looked at Stanford and shook his head. "Nope." He lied.

Ford hummed in confusion, but shrugged. "Well, never mind that. I'm sure you're more interested in seeing the amulet." He said.

Bill nodded, and Fiddleford folded his arms. He still wasn't too sure about involving Bill in the amulet project, but he didn't want to argue about it. The three walked over to the small desk across the room and looked down at the amulet.

Bill squinted his eyes at the rather familiar amulet. _I swear I've seen this amulet before..._ He thought to himself, folding his arms. _Oh, right! It belonged to that annoying kid Gideon._

Ford looked over at Bill and noticed his confused look. "Are you okay, Bill?" He asked.

"Yeah," Bill responded. "I've seen this thing before." He informed.

"You have?" Stanford asked. "Where?"

"It belonged to this one kid, Gideon." Bill said, "The twins must have known about it too, 'cuz he told me that Mabel destroyed it."

Ford adjusted his glasses. "Mabel knew about this?" He asked. Bill nodded his head at the question.

Fiddleford hummed in suspicion. "What if 'yer lyin'?" He asked, squinting his eyes.

Bill just rolled his eyes. "What's the point in lying?" He asked.

"You've lied b'fore, who says you won't do it again?" Fiddleford shot back.

Ford noticed the glares that were being sent, and cleared his throat to make the situation a bit less awkward. "Do you have any information on what powers the amulet possesses?" He asked Bill.

Bill shrugged. "Don't quote me on this, 'cuz I could be wrong, but I'm pretty sure he said something about telekinesis and being able to control people." He informed.

Ford nodded and grabbed a pen and paper from out of his lab coat, jotting down the facts quickly. "Control people how?" He questioned.

"Basically being able to control people's body movements." Bill restated.

Fiddleford hummed and put his hands behind his back. "Could it be used, in any type of way, to get rid of demons?" He asked.

Bill glared at McGucket and clenched his fists. "No," He responded with his teeth clenched. "But it _could _be used for punching yourself in the face!" He stated.

Fiddleford glared back at him. "Really? How fascinating!" He said, "Would you mind demonstrating?" He asked.

Bill growled and made a fist at McGucket, about ready to tackle him to the ground. He took a step forward, staring the old man down. Ford was quick to turn towards Bill and put his arms out, stopping the man from demonstrating acts of violence. Bill grunted and tried to fight past Ford's grip, but Stanford was proven stronger in the attempt. Bill narrowed his eyes at Fiddleford and folded his arms, taking a step back.

"Please," Ford said. "Is violence necessary?"

"That's yet to be seen." Bill said, not taking his eyes off Fiddleford.

Ford put his hands behind his back and shook his head. "If you have any idea of redeeming yourself to Fiddleford, I would keep violence out of it all." He said.

Bill huffed and narrowed his eyes. "I might not be a vile fleshbag, but that doesn't mean I can't be violent." He stated, walking away towards the elevator. "I'll be back." He informed, not saying another word.

"Take your time!" McGucket called out, folding his arms as Bill left the laboratory.

Ford sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I'm sorry about him. He can be a bit... exasperating at times." He said to McGucket.

Fiddleford shrugged. "I don't see how the two of you get along." He admitted in more of a mutter.

"Well, a lot has changed." Ford said with a shrug. "Getting onto a different subject, I believe I have something that may help with the amulet process." He said, walking over to the lab's makeshift bedroom.

Fiddleford raised an eyebrow as Ford walked inside. "What is it?" He asked.

"Well," Ford began, kneeling beside a nightstand and opening the drawer. "I believe I have a device that can help us detect some of the amulet's abilities." He informed. McGucket's curiosity got the best of him, and he walked into the bedroom to see the device.

"Ah, here it is." Ford said, holding a small detector in his hands that looked a bit like a taser. "This may help." He said. "It can detect certain types of magic. It may not be extremely useful, but it can be helpful somewhat." He admitted.

"Right..." Fiddleford muttered, looking down at the floor.

Ford noticed the expression and raised an eyebrow. "Fiddleford, are you okay?" He asked, putting a hand on his shoulder.

McGucket shrugged. "I don't know.. there's been somethin' I've wanted to talk to ye' about." He said, still looking away from the man in front of him.

"What is it?" Ford asked.

"It's...about the past." Fiddleford began. He wanted to explain, he just wasn't sure how.

Ford tilted his head, concerned. "What about it? Is it anything bad?" He asked.

McGucket shrugged. "That's the thing, I-I'm not really sure." He admitted.

"Well, what's it about?" Ford asked, not really understanding the man.

Fiddleford shrugged once more. "Er...It's kinda' hard te' explain to ye'..."

Stanford nodded slowly. "Well, I hope I have your trust if there's something yo-" He began, but was cut off by the man in a very unexpected manner. McGucket cupped Ford's face in his hands and pressed his lips against his. Ford's eyes were wide as the action was presented. _How do I get out of this? _Ford asked himself.

Bill returned back down in the laboratory with a crust-less sandwich in hand. He noticed the empty room and raised an eyebrow. "Sivzr?" He called out, his mouth stuffed with part of the sandwich. He looked to the right and noticed a light coming from the other room down in the lab. He walked over to the room to find the others, and turned to peek through the door that was cracked open slightly.

Bill's eyes widened at what he saw. He narrowed his eyes, which ended up turning into a glare. The sandwich in his hand was getting crushed as he clenched his fists. _All this time... _He thought to himself. _All this time Sixer was still interested in that guy? He said that they were just friends! _Well, that's sure not what it seemed to be in Bill's eyes. He had left for five minutes, only to come back and see the one person he trusted most kissing the man he _hated _most.

With a huff, Bill stormed away and threw his sandwich onto the floor. He walked over to Ford's main desk and got out a piece of paper, along with a sharpie marker. Atop the paper, he wrote:

_**Roses are red, **_

_**Violets are blue, **_

_**The nice me is DEAD, **_

_**And I don't need you. **_

_**-B**_

Bill glared down at the paper and shook his head in disbelief. To think, the one person who he had trusted to handle his emotions and keep him on track as a human, played him like a pawn. He looked down at the ground. "You're playing it _this way, _huh Stanford?" He muttered to himself. He looked up and turned around, looking at the amulet on the table. Bill hummed at the magical object and grabbed it in his hands, wrapping the necklace around his neck and securing it so that it wouldn't fall off. With that, he made his way towards the elevator.

_I can handle the world on my own. _Bill told himself, _sure _of himself this time now that he had been a human for a while. Before anyone knew it, he was back upstairs, storming out of the Mystery Shack.

Meanwhile, Ford was completely stunned by the action given by his old college friend. _I can't handle this... I have to tell him that I don't have the same feelings as I did when we were younger. _He thought to himself. He grabbed Fiddleford wrists and pulled them back gently, turning his face away.

Fiddleford raised an eyebrow at the action, noticing his friend's frozen reaction. "A-are you okay?" He asked. "Did I do something wrong?"

Ford shook his head. "No, it's not that..," He assured. "I just..." He continued hesitantly. He was afraid of hurting the man's feelings.

"What?" McGucket asked, not being able to read Ford's facial expressions.

Ford sighed and adjusted his glasses. "Look, Fiddleford. We had a lot of good times back in college and back in the portal process, but I just don't have the same idea as you do for the future." He began, feeling a bit guilty at the look of hurt McGucket showed. Ford sighed, but continued. "I meant it when I said that a _lot_ has changed around here. But, I'm hoping we can keep and remain in a stable friendship." He said, hoping he said it as nice yet straightforward as possible.

Fiddleford nodded slowly, looking to the side of him since eye contact seemed a bit awkward at the moment. "I understand." He said, scratching the back of his neck.

"I would have said something earlier, I just wasn't aware of how you felt." Ford admitted, adjusting his glasses. "Even though there's been a lot of change, I suppose I never suspected it." He said, muttering the last bit.

"Cipher," Fiddleford muttered suddenly.

Ford tilted his head at the mentioning of the man's name. "What about him?" He asked.

"You love 'im, don't ye'?" McGucket asked.

Ford wasn't sure how to respond to the question, he found himself at a loss of words momentarily. "Well-" He began hesitantly, but was cut off before he could hardly begin.

"I guess a lot _has _changed." Fiddleford said, chuckling slightly. Ford was deeply confused by the small laugh. _Was the laugh sincere? Was it sarcastic?_ Ford wasn't very sure.

"Are you... upset?" Stanford asked, running a hand through his hair.

Fiddleford shook his head. "Naw," He assured with a small smile. "I trust yer' judgement, Stanford. And if you _really_ believe he's had a change in heart, I don't want to get in the way by thinkin' otherwise." He said.

Ford gave a small smile to this and nodded his head. Fiddleford spread his arms out, and the two shared a hug. "Thank you." Ford muttered, glad that the conversation hadn't ended in a bad way. Fiddleford just nodded his head.

"Well," McGucket began when he took a step back. "We should probably get back to the task at hand." He said, looking over at the door.

Ford nodded and stood up. "You're probably right." He said with a nod of his head. With that, the two walked back into the laboratory.

The two walked out of the room and back into the main part of the laboratory, walking over to the small desk in front of the portal window.

Fiddleford looked at the device in Stanford's hand and asked, "What kind of magic can it detect?"

"Well," Ford began with his hands behind his back, "It can detect magic wave signals better than anything, however it can also be used to identify sparks of magic around or inside an object such as telekinesis, force fields, and-" He continued, but stopped speaking when he looked down at the desk, not seeing the amulet where they had left it. He raised an eyebrow and looked around. "Where did the amulet go?" He asked.

Fiddleford shrugged. "Didn't we leave it here?" He asked, taking off his hat and running a hand through his hair before placing the hat back atop his head.

"I thought we did..." Ford muttered. "It could have fallen." He said with a shrug, getting down on one knee and checking under the desk. Fiddleford nodded in agreement and looked around the desk, under a few pieces of paper that were scattered around the top of the desk. When McGucket couldn't find the necklace around the desk, he walked over to the larger desk against the wall on his left. He searched around the desk, still left without a sign of the amulet. He hummed in confusion, and looked at the top of the desk. He looked down at a note laying atop the table that hadn't been there before.

"Hey, Stanford?" Fiddleford asked. Ford stood up and turned around to look at the man, tilting his head. Fiddleford looked down at the note once more, and pointed at it. "W-was this... here before?" He asked.

"A likely possibility," Ford said with a shrug as he walked over to the other desk. "Admittedly, I've left a few things laying around quite recently." He said, and looked down at the desk to look at what Fiddleford had been pointing at.

_Huh... _Ford thought to himself. _Fiddleford was right, I don't remember this being here._ He took hold of the small note and held it up in front of him, taking a step to the right to see a bit better. He squinted his eyes and read the note that he could tell had been written by Bill. He had to read the note twice to understand why it had been written. There was a look of both worry and sorrow on his face. Fiddleford tilted his head at the look. "What is it?" He asked.

Ford kept the note in his hand, but held it up for Fiddleford to see. McGucket squinted his eyes at the note to read it, and also displayed a small look of worry. Stanford looked down at the ground, shaking his head. "Dammit..!" He muttered, hands in his hair.

"Do ye' know what that's about, and who wrote it?" Fiddleford asked. He had a good idea of who had written it with the "B" At the end, but didn't want to jump to conclusions.

Ford nodded slowly. "It was Bill," He said, looking over at the elevator with a small frown. "He's gone."

**Oooh… where will Bill go? Will he be back? **

**I hope I raised a bit of suspense in this chapter, sometimes I don't usually know if something I write is suspenseful enough. Sometimes I show a friend a bit of a chapter to see if it's the mood I'm trying to set, but she doesn't really know either since she hasn't watched the show very much. So I usually end up rereading my stuff more than once. Anyway, I hope it was okay. New chapter with some answers will be up soon! (Plus new cover art when I get home today.)**


	28. A familiar face

**I hope you liked the last chapter! I know there was a suspenseful cliffhanger but have no fear! Uhh...**

**This is here! xD**

**With the warning of an alcohol mentioning, here's chapter 31 of "Welcome Home"! **

What was he to do now? Bill Cipher, on his own once again.

It just didn't make sense to Bill. None of it did. _Why would Sixer, out of everyone, kiss that guy? _He asked himself. _To think I could actually trust someone like him. All he did was play with my feelings. I shouldn't have shown effection in the first place, letting my stupid human emotions get to me! _

Bill was walking on the sidewalk in town, his hands in his pockets. _I should have kept him away from Fiddlesticks. __I could have done something to prevent this from happening. _

_But I didn't. _

Bill knew that he couldn't think about that now. His main focus was planning what exactly he would do now. Where would he go? Anywhere but the Mystery Shack, that's for sure. He looked forward and noticed a familiar shop's sign hanging above the building. _The donut shop. _Bill thought. He wasn't sure what the point of going there was, but he wouldn't mind going in and possibly annoying a few customers.

He walked over to the shop and opened the door. The bell above the glass door rung, and Bill flinched at the noise. He turned around as a spark of blue fire came from the palm of his right hand.

A few people in the shop looked at him, wide-eyed. One young boy stood up atop one of the booth chairs and threw his hands into the air, amazed. "Wow! A _real_ magician!" He exclaimed. "Look, mommy!"

The boy's mom nodded frantically and grabbed her child, picking him up and wrapping her arms around his torso. "Y-yes, yes. L-let's go, sw..sweetie." She stammered, running towards the front door and pushing past Bill. She was clearly afraid of the demon.

Bill laughed mockingly. He opened the front door and yelled out to the woman, "Coward!"

"Sir?" A voice called out to Bill. He turned around to look at the person who had spoken to him. It was a rather familiar face that he just barely recognized.

"Oh, it's you." Bill muttered, walking up to the counter.

The woman nodded. "Karen." She reminded.

"Right," Bill said, nodding slowly. "What are you doing here?"

"I work here, silly!" Karen said, chuckling.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Still?" He asked.

Karen nodded at the question. "Well, yeah. It's not like I have job opportunities coming my way whenever I want them to." She said with a shrug as she dried the damp, washed cup that was in her hand with a cloth. "So, I guess you never stopped by, huh?"

"What?" Bill asked, tilting his head.

Karen shrugged. "Well, I drop off boxes of donuts at the police station once and a while, and there was this old guy that was carrying you, like,_ four months_ ago. Your grandpa, I'm assuming?" She asked.

Bill scoffed and shook his head. "What about him?" He asked, not bothering to mention the fact that Stanford _wasn't_ his grandpa.

"I told him to tell you that I work day shifts here every other day if you still remembered me." Karen said.

"Well," Bill began, "I guess _he_ didn't remember _you_ if he forgot to tell me." He said, rolling his eyes.

Karen laughed at that. "You're funny!" She commented with a smile.

"Funny?" Bill repeated. "Nah, I'm more of a quick-witted thinker." He said with a shrug, leaning on the counter.

"Well it's not a bad thing," Karen said with a smile. "I always look for that kind of thing in a guy." She said. "I guess I finally found someone who has it."

"Really?" Bill asked, smirking. "Who?" He questioned in a sarcastic manner.

Karen laughed at the comment and leaned over the counter, running a hand through her long hair. "Are you gonna be doing anything later?" She asked.

Bill shook his head. "Nope," He said with a shrug, leaning forward a bit. "I literally have_ nothing _planned. Not anymore." He said, muttering the last bit. "Kinda taking some time away from where I was living. And by taking some time, I mean leaving without going back." He said.

"Oh, I'm sorry." Karen said with a frown. "Family issues?" She asked.

Bill shrugged. "Something like that. But who cares!" He said, a grin instantly appearing on his face. "It's better this way." He said, nodding his head in confirmation.

"You could stay at my apartment." Karen offered. "It gets pretty lonely living all alone. I've considered getting pets, but my Dad is allergic to cats. He comes to visit once and a while, and I wouldn't want him to get allergy problems." She said.

"Just get a dog." Bill advised.

Karen smiled. "Huh. Funny, cute,_ and_ smart!" She praised. "I never thought of that!"

"Seriously?" Bill asked, a bit unamused. "Cats and dogs are like, the main pet choices." He pointed out.

"Well, I've never really had much experience with dogs in the past, so I guess I never really considered adopting a dog." Karen said.

Bill shrugged and smirked. "Well who knows, you just might get one!" He said, winking at the lady.

Karen just gave a blank look, not understanding what the other was referring to. "What?" She asked, tilting her head.

Bill rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Look lady, if you explain a joke, then it's not funny anymore." He said.

"Right..." Karen muttered, looking away. She was quick to add a smile as she looked back at the demon. "Well, back to drying dishes!" She said, skipping off behind her to the kitchen.

* * *

"What're ye' gonna do?" Fiddleford asked Stanford as they went up the laboratory's elevator to go back upstairs.

Stanford shrugged at the question. "Honestly... I don't think there's anything I _can_ do." He said, folding his arms and looking away.

"What?" Fiddleford blurted out. "But... There's gotta be somethin'! Yer' just gonna let Cipher leave like that?" He asked, surprised.

Ford nodded slowly. "Well, It's not like I have control over him. Bill can make decisions for himself as he sees fit." He muttered with a sigh.

"You're not gonna stop 'im?" McGucket asked. Ford just shook his head, however he had an unsure look on his face. "But," Fiddleford began. "The note he left on yer' desk seemed like more of a warnin' than a goodbye." He pointed out.

"I know that," Ford said, "Bill is_ clearly_ mad, and I don't know what he's going to do, or where he's going."

"You're right," Fiddleford agreed, nodding slowly. "If he's not careful out on his own, he could get himself killed!" He said.

Those words really hit Stanford hard when McGucket said it. Sure, that thought had already run past him in his head, but actually hearing someone say it felt much, _much_ worse. Ford looked at McGucket for a moment, hoping to change the subject up a bit. "If I may ask, how come you sound so concerned?" He asked.

Fiddleford shrugged. "Well, you had the heart to forgive 'im. Maybe I can, too." He said. "And even if I _don't_, the least I could do is support you and yer' family through whatever happens." He stated as the elevator door opened.

Ford gave a small smile to this. "Well, it's kind of you to say th-" He began, until he heard a loud _crash _upstairs. His eyes widened at the sound, and at the assumption that something had been broken. Ford and Fidds dashed up the stairs in alarm to go see what happened. Ford opened the secret door in the vending machine, and the two rushed into the living room.

"Where is he?" Fiddleford asked, looking around frantically.

"I don't know," Ford said, but stopped when he heard another sound and a grunt of frustration coming from his brother coming from the kitchen. Ford raised an eyebrow and pulled out a gun from his lab coat, walking out of the living room. "Stanley?" He called out.

Fiddleford looked at Ford, squinting his eyes on why he felt the need to pull out a _gun_. "What's with the-?" He asked, but was cut off by the man beside him.

"Defense instincts," Stanford informed. "They grew on me after all those years in dimensions."

"Oh." Fiddleford muttered. He had recently been informed on where exactly Stanford had been for the past thirty years after all the days that they spent catching up on life. It was quite astonishing that Ford had managed to survive all those years on his own.

"Arrgh!" Stan exclaimed in frustration from the other room. Ford and McGucket ran to the doorframe quick enough to see Stan chuck a chair across the kitchen, the chair crashing to the ground on its side.

"Stanley!" Ford exclaimed. "What the hell are you doing?"

"I'm upset!" Stan shouted, grunting and clenching his fists. "That little _demon_ friend of yours took my last beer!" He exclaimed, glaring.

Ford sighed in relief at the circumstance, glad that there was no severe problem to be deeply concerned about. "Is trashing the kitchen _really_ necessary?" He asked his brother, folding his arms.

Stan put his hands on his hips and rolled his eyes. "Have you_ tried_ that stuff? That's the _good_ beer, Stanford! I'm no alcoholic, but come _on!_ He's gonna pay for takin' that!_ Literally!_" He exclaimed.

"I believe we have a more serious matter to be concerned about rather than beer, Stan." Ford said, taking the poem out of his coat pocket and reading over it again.

"Yeah, yeah. You've always got _somethin'_ serious goin' on, pointdexter." Stan said, shaking his head dismissively.

Fiddleford extended his arms towards Stan. "The amulet is missin'!" He informed in a worried tone.

"Oh yeah," Stan said, nodding his head. "Cipher took it." He informed.

"I knew it..," Ford muttered. "But what is he intending to use it for? What's the purpose?" He asked himself, looking away and putting his hands behind his back as he paced around as if he were walking on an invisible line.

"Woah, you okay, Sixer?" Stan asked. When he got no response from his brother as he continued to pace and ponder his thoughts, Stan continued. "Look, I'm sure it's fine. He'll probably be back soon, don't ya' think?"

"No Stanley, I don't." Ford stated, standing in place and looking at his brother. "Bill's gone."

"Gone?" Stan repeated. "Like... gone, gone?" He asked.

Ford nodded, sighing. "I believe so." He said.

Stan hummed for a moment, looking down at the ground. "Wow..." He muttered, taking his fez off and running a hand through his hair before placing it back atop his head. "That's great!" He exclaimed, a wide grin plastered along his face. Stan put his hands on his hips as he laughed gleefully. "I was hopin' he'd leave sooner or later!" He said, still grinning from ear to ear. He laughed at his own statement. "Ya' know, things are_ finally_ startin' to feel how they were supposed to feel already with out that guy around!" He said, laughing harder than he had before.

Ford glared and put his hands on Stan's shoulders. "This is _not_ a laughing matter!" He exclaimed, glaring. "You don't understand what could be happening, and what could be at stake, _do you?_" He asked, his grip on Stan's shoulders getting tighter.

Fiddleford cringed at the way Ford had said that. He already knew it was true, but it gave Fiddleford the hint that this situation was _his_ fault. This was _all_ his fault. He gave a small frown as he felt a wave of remorse hit him.

"Nah, ya' kinda failed to mention that part of the situation, Ford." Stan said, responding to his brother's question with a shrug. "And plus, I'm not _completely_ glad that Bill's gone. He hasn't even worked his first shift yet and he's already missin' out on work!"

"Maybe _this_ will help." Ford said, taking his hands off Stan's shoulders and giving him the note that was still in his hands.

Stan looked down at the folded piece of paper and raised an eyebrow. "What is this?" He asked.

"Read it." Ford said, folding his arms.

Stan did as told and unfolded the note, reading what was written.

_**Roses are red,**_

_**Violets are blue, **_

_**The nice me is DEAD, **_

_**And I don't need you. **_

_**-B**_

"Huh," Stan muttered, handing the poem back to his brother. "What'd ya' do to piss him off like that?" He asked.

Ford put his hands behind his back once more. "The better question is, what is Bill going to do now?" He questioned. "He already has a hint of magic within him, what does he feel the amulet would be useful for?" He asked.

Fiddleford shrugged, deciding to join into the conversation. "Maybe he's tryin' ta' become more powerful." He said with a shrug.

Stan shook his head. "What's the point in doin' that?" He asked.

"Well," Ford began. "Fiddleford has a point. Let's try to keep an open mind on possibilities." He advised.

"By the way," Stanley started, "Aren't those 'roses are red' poems supposed to be all lovey-dovey?" He questioned, narrowing his eyes in suspicion.

"No," Ford blurted out, not really sure on how to respond. He thought for a moment, and remembered a specific day from their childhood that he could use to support his statement. "Remember that poem you wrote, third grade, to Carla McCorkle?" He asked his brother.

Stan folded his arms and tilted his head. "Huh?"

"Third grade, you wrote a poem to Carla McCorkle about a boy named Jeremy. You saw the two of them exchanging sandwiches on the swing set during recess, so you wrote her a poem saying how Jeremy was a dimwit." Ford said, putting his hands in his pockets.

Stan hummed for a moment, trying to remember. "I don't know if I...uh...do you know what the poem said on it?" Stanley asked.

Ford nodded slowly in thought, squinting at the floor. "Uh, yes. I believe so." He said with a nod of his head. "Roses are Red, my face is too, Jeremy-"

"Wet the bed, thinking about you." Stan finished, scratching the back of his neck and laughing at what he had written so long ago. "Jeez, who knew I could be so creative with insults as a kid?" He asked, chuckling.

"Do you think the paper would still be in New Jersey?" Ford asked.

Stan went silent for a moment "Uh..." He muttered, not exactly sure how to explain. "Probably not, our parents don't live there anymore." He said.

"Right..," Ford muttered, running a hand through his hair. "I suppose I forgot just _how long_ it's been." He admitted with a small frown. "Did you hear from Mom and Dad after I disappeared?" He asked.

Stan shook his head at the question. "Nope, but Mabel and Dipper filled me in on some stuff Shermy told 'em in the past." He said.

Fiddleford cleared his throat loud enough for the twins to remember the task at hand. "Oh, right." Ford muttered. "Sorry for getting off track."

McGucket shrugged dismissively and folded his arms. "Do we have any clues?" He asked.

"I don't think there's much for clues on something like this," Stanford said, putting his hands behind his back. "However, it would be a good idea to give a few reasonable hypothesis's." He said.

"What exactly are you tryina' find out, pointdexter?" Stan asked, folding his arms.

"Honestly, I'm not sure." Ford muttered. "It's not my place to go look for him, however I'm concerned that something bad could happen to either him or the town." He said.

Stan put his hands on his hips. "What if he's not wantin' to cause trouble?" He asked.

"Well," Ford began. "That's a possibility, however Bill's made it clear that he's not playing nice anymore. Who knows what he could be trying to do." He said, shrugging.

"Should we _really_ be concerned?" Stan asked. "He hasn't done nothin' yet, maybe you should calm down a little bit, Sixer." He said, rolling his eyes.

"I'm perfectly calm!" Ford lied. "There's no reason to be mad, or concerned, or..._sad._" He said, fists clenched by his sides. He gave a small frown down at the ground as he spoke the last word.

Stan scoffed. "You _just_ said you were concerned, Ford. Ya' should work on your lyin'." He advised.

"I'm not the lying type." Ford defended, folding his arms.

"Maybe Stan's right, Ford." Fiddleford said, shrugging his shoulders. "This can wait 'till tomorrow, can't it?"

Ford sighed, but nodded slowly. "I suppose so." He muttered.

* * *

"Huh," Bill said, looking around Karen's apartment. "You live here?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's not too big, but it's not too small. just the way I like it." Karen said with a smile as she shut the door to her apartment.

The apartment was as she had explained. When you walked in the door, there was a corner to the right with a basket holding a few umbrellas, along with a ukulele. Facing the left was a small storage closet, with a kitchen directly past it. There were a couple wide windows in the apartment, showing some of the city lights as the sun went down. The walls were a creamy yellow color that blended with the space decently.

"What's your favorite movie?" Karen asked as she walked over to the kitchen to wash her hands.

"_Movie?_" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Uh, I've never seen one." He admitted with a shrug. "They sound boring."

Karen laughed at this. "You're funny!" She said with a smile. "Okay, seriously. What is it?"

Bill rolled his eyes. "I've never _seen_ one, kid." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Kid?" Karen asked, tilting her head.

Bill noticed what he had said, and put his hand over his mouth. "Oh," He muttered, running the hand through his hair. "Uh, sorry. I'm so used to saying that to.. _people._" He said, giving an awkward chuckle.

"What do you mean?" Karen questioned, drying her hands.

Bill just shook his head. "Better not to bring that one up, kid._ Er-_ Karly." He said, folding his arms and looking down at the floor.

"Karen." Said lady repeated.

"Right." Bill muttered. "Not so good with names, either."

Karen nodded in an understanding manner. "I get that. My Dad isn't good with remembering names, either. He forgets the names of his workers all the time, and he's been working with some of them for years." She said, chuckling softly.

"What, is he a boss or something?" Bill asked, walking over to the kitchen and sitting on a stool next to the counter.

Karen shrugged. "Well, yes. Technically." She began. "He works as an agent, but he has people who do most of the work for him." She said.

"What's his name?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"He doesn't like his name being thrown around," Karen stated. "He gets angry enough when people mistake him for his brother." She said. "Let's just say... he doesn't really like his brother's reputation." She added, muttering the last bit.

"Ah," Bill said. "Well, not like it matters." He said with a dismissive shrug. Karen just nodded in agreement.

It's not like it was something to be_ concerned_ about.

* * *

"Thanks fer' offerin' to drive me back home, Stanford." Fiddleford said as they walked over to the car.

Ford just shrugged. "It's no problem, really." He assured.

They got to the car and were rather quick to get inside, especially McGucket. Fiddleford nearly shut the passenger seat door on his arm getting into the vehicle so quickly. Ford buckled his seatbelt as the car started up. Fiddleford felt the warmth of the heater in front of him heating up, and he put his hands in front of it, smiling in a comforted manner at the heat temperature.

Ford noticed the action and gave a small frown._ Bill did that once..._ he thought to himself. _A few __times. _

"So," McGucket began. "When're the twins comin' back to Gravity Falls?" He asked, looking over at the other.

Ford shrugged. "That would be a question to ask Stanley, he keeps in touch with both the twins and their parents more often than I do." He admitted.

"It's never too late ta' talk to their parents." Fiddleford said.

"Well," Ford began. "I'm known to be more of an introvert. I've never met Shermy's son, nor his son's wife. Stan would be the better person to ask about all of that." He said.

Fiddleford just nodded. "I'm hopin' they'll be around when summer comes around." He said. "I didn't give the best presentation to 'em last year. They were the ones who helped me to put my life back together, I owe em' more than a thank you." He admitted.

"The twins did that?" Ford asked, as he put his hands on the wheel. "Dipper and Mabel?"

"Yep," McGucket said, nodding. "Dipper came to me one day, thinkin' I was the author. Back then I couldn't remember much from my past, 'till he flipped past the blind eye page. Then we went to the blind eye headquarters and got a capsule of my mem'ries back." He said.

"Well, it's good that you got your memories back." Ford said as he turned the wheel to get on the road.

Fiddleford nodded. "Ye', well, some of 'em." He said. "I'm still tryin' ta' remember some mem'ries."

"If I may ask..," Ford began, but stopped speaking, afraid that he would offend the man. He shook his head and looked through the windshield at the minor traffic.

Fiddleford raised an eyebrow, confused on why he had stopped speaking. "Ask what?" He asked, tilting his head and looking at Ford.

"Do you...have a valid drivers license?" Ford asked hesitantly, afraid that it was too personal of a question. He wanted to kick himself once he had asked when he noticed the minor silence.

"Hmm," Fiddleford hummed, squinting his eyes. "I don't think I would since the things're supposed to expire after 8 years." He said. "I never renewed it."

"8 _years?_" Ford repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I don't remember that being the deadline." He commented. "However the deadlines can vary tremendously depending on the dimension."

"Huh?" Fiddleford asked.

"One dimension I traveled quite a few years ago had a drivers license deadline of 25 years." Ford informed.

"Interesting..," Fiddleford said, nodding his head slowly and squinting his eyes. "Would ye' ever consider goin' back to those dimensions?" He asked.

"That would be unlikely." Stanford stated. "Your warnings were right all along after you abandoned the portal process. When the portal is fully functional, it can result in catastrophe across the universe, destroying anything and everything. It's too much of a risk to start it up again, that's why I kept denying Bill's wish to start it up again and travel." He informed.

"But, when you came out of the portal, nothin' was destroyed but the portal itself." Fiddleford said. "Remember?"

"Yes," Ford said, shrugging. "Luckily, the energy that the portal gave off settled down enough to give minimum damage. Luck is the only explanation, really." He commented.

"Well, I'm not sayin' ye' _should_ start it up again," Fiddleford said. "I'm just wonderin' if you'd ever go back if ye' _could._"

Ford shrugged at the question. "Possibly. Some dimensions were enjoyable, others not so much." He muttered. "Sorry, I overthought your question." He apologized.

"It's my fault," Fiddleford said. "It reminded ye' of Cipher, so you were overthinkin' it." He stated.

"It's not your fault." Ford assured. "Don't worry about it."

"You miss im', don't ye'?" Fiddleford questioned hesitantly.

Ford exhaled silently, but nodded as he continued to look on the road in front of him. "Well, I'm not exactly thrilled that he's gone," Ford said in more of a mutter. "But that was his decision, and I can't stop him from doing what he thinks is best."

Fiddleford just hummed in a low tone, nodding slowly and looking out his car window beside him.

The car rid to McGucket's house wasn't much further, it only took a few minutes to get to the mountain his mansion was atop. As the car went up the mountain, it felt as if gravity was pulling the front of the car down to the back seat due to the diagonal path of the mountain. As strange as it would sound to most average citizens of the Gravity Falls, the pulling force they experienced reminded Fiddleford of the time he had nearly been sucked into the portal years ago. It gave him a strange feeling, looking back at the past event, however he had gotten used to the feeling of going uphill to the point that it no longer frightened him.

They reached to the top of the mountain, and Stanford parked the car near the home's gate. McGucket unbuckled his seatbelt and safely stepped out of the car, thanking Ford for the ride home. He watched the car head back down the hill before passing through the gate.

_Nev'r thought i'd think this, but I'm startin' to hope Cipher comes back if it means Stanford is happy again. Ford's not admittin' it, but I can tell he's more glum than he says he is. _Fiddleford thought to himself.

McGucket opened the door to his house, shutting it behind him and whistling to lighten the mood. _And now ta' make a sandwich! _McGucket thought to himself, smiling slightly. He made an attempt to turn the left corner, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Huh?" Fiddleford blurted out, raising an eyebrow.

There was a familiar man standing in front of him, an unpleased look on his face. McGucket jumped in fear, exclaiming silently to himself. The man rolled his eyes and pinend him against the wall, a grip on each of his shoulders.

Fiddleford bit his lip at the pain in his back and looked at the man with fear. "P-please don't hurt me!" He stammered. "I didn't say anything, I-I promise!" Fiddleford said, rather afraid at the situation.

"It's not that you didn't say anything," The man said. "I've told you this once, and I'll say it again. Don't take off your hat when you're inside their home. We need to be able to see a clear image of events through the video camera inside your hat _whenever_ you're visiting. How else are we supposed to gather information against the Pines family?" He asked, glaring.

"I'm sorry!" Fiddleford exclaimed. "I-It won't happen again, age- er, uh, _Mr._ Powers..!" He promised, nodding his head frantically.

"Oh, I expect that it won't." Mr. Powers said, narrowing his eyes. "Or there will be consequences greater than the last." He threatened.

McGucket nodded slowly as the agent took his hands off the older man's shoulders. "H-how long is this going to keep on goin' for?" He dared to ask.

Mr. Powers just rolled his eyes at the question. "That bit of information doesn't concern you. You're only participating in this for our blackmailing purposes, make sure you remember that." He said. "If anything goes wrong again, expect me to return to your home unexpectedly once more."

"Y-Yes agent powers." McGucket stammered.

Mr. Powers glared at this. "Don't you _dare_ mix up my brother's name with mine!" He spat, teeth and fists clenched. "My brother is a disgrace to the agency, and I'm surprised he wasn't fired on the_ spot_ after his poor performances as an agent!" He said, folding his arms.

"Sorry..." Fiddleford muttered in an apologetic manner.

"Good," Mr. Powers said, a small glare still visible on his face as he begun to walk over to the mansion's front door. He turned around once more to look at the older man as he spoke. "I expect that you'll be back at the Mystery Shack next week?" Mr. Powers asked, Fiddleford knowing it to be more of a statement rather than a question.

McGucket just nodded in a fearful response. It was all Mr. Powers needed to see from the man to head out the door, not bothering to say another word. Fiddleford let out a sigh when the man left, taking off his hat and walking over to the front door, placing it atop the coat rack. He made sure to face the front of his hat to the wall, not wanting the agents to spy on him in his house.

_How am I supposed to get outta' this? _Fiddleford asked himself. _His blackmail is riskin' a lot more on my part than I'm willin' to lose..._

* * *

"Pointdexter?" Stan addressed as his brother sat on a chair in the living room beside the table. His brother just sighed, adjusting his glasses and frowning, leaning back slightly as he looked up at the ceiling.

_Dam.. _Stan thought to himself. _Never thought he'd be so down about Cipher leavin'. _"Stanford." Stan addressed again, folding his arms and leaning back in his couch chair.

"Yes?" Ford answered, the response coming out in more of an annoyed mutter.

Stan cringed slightly at the way the response came out, but proceeded. "Uh, Bill said somethin' earlier." He began. His brother gave no response, however he appeared to be listening to his words. "Uh.. he said that he didn't want ya' lookin' for him." He continued. "At first I wasn't sure what he was talkin' about, figured he was only leavin' for a bit. But I guess that wasn't what was happenin', so I figured I'd tell ya' before you went lookin."

"I wasn't_ planning_ to go look for him." Ford stated, folding his arms as he looked over at Stan. "I don't have control over where and when he decides to leave."

"You weren't?" Stan asked. "I thought you'd be upset that he left, so you'd go lookin' around town for him." He admitted.

Ford stood up from his chair and grunted, clenching a fist in his hair and pushing in the chair with the other. "Of_ course_ I'm upset that Bill left!" He exclaimed, beginning to walk away with a glare on his face. He stopped walking to stand in front of Stan. He pointed a finger towards his brother as he continued to speak, making the point that he wasn't finished. "But that doesn't mean I'm going to go searching around Gravity Falls for him like some sort of _madman!_" He stated, putting his hands in his lab coat pockets and storming out of the living room.

"Jeez," Stan muttered to himself. _I guess he's got a point, but I thought he'd be worried that he was walkin' around town all alone. _Stan scoffed to himself and rolled his eyes. _Eh, why do I care? The guy tried to kill my family, not sure why I'm carin' if he's gone. Ford's 'clean slate' lecture really got to me, huh... _

To take Stan's mind off the situation, he grabbed the Tv remote beside him and turned the Tv on, flipping to a channel that was playing "Clashing cooks!"

Meanwhile, Ford was in his bedroom, laying down on his bed. He took off his glasses and placed them beside him, running a hand through his hair with his hand. It had been quite some time since he had been in his actual bedroom. Ever since Bill had become a human, he had been sleeping down in the laboratory's bedroom nearly every day to the point where he had gotten used to the room being his ordinary bedroom.

Ford sighed and ran his hand down his face slowly with a frown. _I don't understand why Bill left._ He thought to himself. _Was it something I did? Was it something he did? Why would he leave with so little context? _Stanford wasn't exactly sure why the man had decided to leave.

The whole situation made very little sense to him. Bill had been in the shack for nearly five_ months_. When he was first staying, Ford would have had no problem of Bill wanting to leave, if his research of his human form wasn't in the way of that. In fact, Stanford hardly wanted Bill to _stay_. The funny thing was, the only reason Bill began staying at the shack in the first place was for Ford's research purposes, and research purposes _only_. So why was Ford so upset about him leaving _now_? How come he became so mournful at the_ thought_ of Bill leaving?

He had grown attached.

Stanford Filbrick Pines, the man who had_ truly_ become attached to Bill Cipher. He knows it, Fiddleford knows it, and Bill...

Well… Bill _thought_ he knew it.

Ford sighed once more and put one of his hands into the air, counting the fingers on his hands._ Six_ fingers. _Not five_. The common nickname given by Bill rang in his head. Whenever Bill had addressed him as 'Sixer', it was never meant as an insult. It was never said in a mocking manner. It was never used to make Ford feel bad about himself, nor to make him feel alienated. _No_, ever since Ford took Bill in after all the trouble he had caused in the summer, it was used in an_ understanding_ manner. Bill was finally beginning to understand Stanford's feelings, the feeling of being _different. _

Maybe that's one reason why Bill had such a change in heart.

Until now. Now, Ford wasn't sure just what Bill was planning to do. Was he going to do something reckless? Ford kicked himself at the thought of Bill ending his life, unintentionally or purposefully. _But what would Bill do?_ Ford asked himself.

Then it hit him.

_The file cabinet, it was open quite recently without context. _Ford thought to himself. He sat up immediately in his bed, fear filling his head. _What if Bill was looking for something, and lied about it? Could he be looking for answers to something big? _Ford wasn't exactly sure, but he sure as _hell_ didn't want to risk it. Before he knew it, he was back down in the laboratory, frantically searching through the file cabinet.

_What did he take? _Ford asked himself as he scrambled around in the file cabinet. _What is he planning? _

Stanford looked and looked, but couldn't find what was missing. Ford ran a hand through his hair and sighed. "Maybe I'm overthinking this..." He told himself aloud. He heard the sudden sound of the elevator coming downwards. He looked at the elevator doors to see his brother step out.

"Hey, pointdexter." Stan greeted in more of a mutter, holding a box of Chipackerz in his hand. "Want some?"

Ford shook his head at the offer. "No, thank you." He declined, putting a hand up in front of him.

"Aw, c'mon." Stan groaned, rolling his eyes and walking up to his brother. "You've been pissed off all day. Just try one." He insisted with a look on his face showing that he wouldn't leave until Ford tried one.

"I'm not 'pissed', Stan." Ford stated. "I'm just trying to solve all of this. None of it adds up." He said, running a hand through his hair before putting his hands in his pockets.

Stan rolled his eyes as Ford began to ramble on about what he was thinking. Stan reached into the Chipackerz box and grabbed one, holding it up in his hand as he looked at Ford.

"-And what would Bill do if he realized that-" Ford continued, but stopped when Stan shoved a cracker into his mouth. Ford tried to look at the object forced into his mouth, and raised an eyebrow. He accepted the snack and used his hand to pop it into his mouth, munching on it in deep confusion. "What is this?" Ford asked, looking at Stan with a confused look.

"It's a Chipacker!" Stan said with a grin.

Ford narrowed his eyes, even_ more_ confused by the _name._ "A what?"

"A Chipacker! Chipackerz always make ya' feel better!" Stan said with a shrug. "Mabel said that last summer, and she aint' wrong about it, either."

"Stanley, 'ain't' isn't a proper-" Ford began.

Stan rolled his eyes and stuffed another cracker into his brothers mouth to end his speech. Ford just narrowed his eyes, grabbing a side of the cracker and pulling it out of his mouth. "Will you stop that?" He asked in an annoyed manner.

"Will ya' stop bein' so nerdy?" Stan asked, rolling his eyes. "You ain't never gonna get a date if you're always correctin' people like that, pointdexter."

Ford just sighed, deciding to eat the other cracker that his brother had already shoved halfway into his mouth. He remembered the question that Fiddleford had asked earlier in the day, wondering when-or if- the twins would be back in Gravity Falls. "Stanley," Ford began when he finished the chip flavored cracker. "Do you have any idea when Mabel and Dipper will be back in Gravity Falls?" He asked.

Stan shrugged. "The summer, maybe." He said. "Their parents were sayin' they wanted to go to Vegas in the summer." He informed.

Ford just nodded. "The sooner the better," He began. "I need to chat with Mabel when she returns, face to face."

"Why?" Stan asked.

Ford shrugged. "It's not important." He half-lied.

"If it's not important, why'd ya' say 'the sooner the better'?" Stanley asked, placing the Chipackerz box onto the desk beside him and putting his hands on his hips.

Stanford just sighed, shaking his head. "You probably wouldn't understand, or care." He said with a shrug. "Fiddleford was the one who reminded me to ask." He admitted.

"Well, you nerds can have your little secret-circle, I'm gonna go make a sandwich. Ya' want one?" Stan offered, walking over to the elevator.

Ford thought for a moment, deciding whether or not he should accept or decline the offer. In the end, he just nodded his head. "Sure." He said with a small smile.

**Alright, I had to end this chapter on a pleasant note with all of the crazy stuff heating up. So, we've got Karen who seems pretty interested in Bill, and we've got some drama with the return of Mr. Powers from earlier chapters! Hopefully you remember him, and if you don't, he was in chapters such as "Object? Stolen!". Not to mention, Ford's pretty down about Bill being gone. I wanted to push this chapter out early so that I didn't have to leave you guys on a cliffhanger from the last chapter. Next chapter should be up next week :3**


	29. Get out of my head!

**Well, there's quite a bit going on in the story right now- and even more heating up. Last chapter and this chapter are both referencing earlier chapters, such as the whole 'Mr. Powers' thing, and something _else_ that you won't know until you read this chapter!**

**S****orry if I'm putting a tone of those line things throughout the chapters, there's a LOT going on that needs to slowly develop in order for all of this to play out correctly. So, if you think bad things are gonna start up... you have _no idea. _ **

**[Cue evil laugh]**

**Here's chapter 32 of "Welcome Home"!**

"Hey, Ford." Stan greeted as his brother met him in the kitchen. "Hope ya' like strawberry jam." He said, motioning over at the sandwich at the other side of the table.

"Thank you, Stan." Ford said, walking over to the other chair and sitting down.

The twins were rather quiet, having no one around at the moment. Stan figured his brother just wanted some time to himself. The only problem about_ that_ was Ford figured _Stan_ wanted time to _himself. _It's not like there was much to do, anyway. It was just Ford and Stan at the shack, no kids, no Fiddleford, and _no Bill_. The silence between them was getting rather awkward, so Stanley decided to say something.

Stan cleared his throat in a rather loud manner, which caught Ford's attention. "So," He began.

"So?" Ford repeated, the sound of question in his voice as he raised an eyebrow. He felt a small wave of suspense rush over him as his brother was hesitant to speak.

"Alright, alright," Stan continued, setting down his half-eaten sandwich. "Pretend you're on some sort of mountain. Na-no, more of a mountain lookin' thing that's actually a pretty large rock in this _huge_ cave in the woods. And by huge, I mean _really_ freakin' huge. Some torches on the cave walls to light up the place." Stan began, explaining the surroundings of the place.

"Proceed," Ford urged, leaning forward slightly and folding his hands under his chin as his elbows rested on the table.

Stan noticed Ford's curiosity on the story's setting, which he was rather surprised by. "So, on one side'a the cave, you've got your pal, Fidds." He said, putting his left hand atop the table for show. Ford just nodded before Stan continued. "On top of the rock-mountain thing, you've got Bill standin' there." Stanley continued. Stan could have _sworn_ he saw Ford's smile fade slightly at the mention of the man's name, however it happened too fast for him to be sure. "If you could only choose one of 'em to save, which would ya' choose?" He asked.

"Save from _what,_ exactly?" Ford asked, wishing to know the circumstance before even _considering_ an answer to the ridiculous question.

"I dunno, major injuries, probably death." Stan said, shrugging his shoulders as if the fate meant very little.

Ford scoffed at that, just rolling his eyes before giving a response. "_I don't know_, Stan. Why in the _world_ would you ask me something like that?" He asked, rather unamused by the topic of the story.

Stan shrugged at the question. "Look, I like givin' people questions that're hard to answer." He said, snickering. "But now that I think about it, Cipher kinda _deserves_ death after what happened in the summer, if ya' ask me." Stan admitted.

Ford narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists under the table, fighting back the sudden urge to strangle his brother. "I'd take that back if I were you." He advised, staring at Stanley.

Stan shook his head and leaned back in his chair, folding his arms. "Can't. Won't." He said with yet another shrug.

"I will_ not_ tolerate those types of derogatory remarks in my house, Stanley." Ford stated, standing up from the chair.

Stan just scoffed, chuckling as if it was all a joke. "What's it to ya', pointdexter?" He questioned in a rather sarcastic manner, not catching on to his brother's seriousness.

"That's none of your concern." Ford said in a bitter manner, grabbing a notepad from out of his lab coat and flipping to a blank page before leaving the room.

Stan just rolled his eyes when Stanford left the kitchen. "Moody." He muttered. Stan stood up from his chair and cupped his hands around his mouth to act as a makeshift megaphone. "It's gettin' late, why don't ya' get some rest,_ drama king_?" He shouted to his brother, who was probably heading back to the laboratory.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill was 'sitting' with his feet on the top of the couch in Karen's apartment, and his head nearly touching the floor as he used the Tv remote to pick a program to watch. He enjoyed the feeling of blood rushing to his head when he sat upside down, so he had begun doing it rather often, not caring about the warnings Stanford had informed him of in the past if you hung upside down for too long.

"Nope," Bill muttered. "Nope, nope, nope,_ heck no_, nope..." He murmured as he flipped through the channels on Tv.

Karen walked into the living room and snickered at Bill's actions. "You're head's turning into a tomato!" She joked with a grin.

Bill's eyes widened in complete seriousness at this. "_What?_" He exclaimed, sitting up immediately. He scrambled off the couch and across the living room, pushing past Karen and rushing to the bathroom to look in the mirror. He stubbed his toe on the edge of the doorframe, which he would have laughed at had he not been filled with fear.

He ran his hands all over his face, raising an eyebrow at his regular human face. He narrowed his eyes and scoffed, heading out of the bathroom and narrowing his eyes at the woman. "You lied to me!" He stated, folding his arms and huffing.

Karen just laughed at this. "It's just an expression, silly!" She said, rolling her eyes.

"What, so now you're calling me silly? _Silly_ is just another way of saying_ stupid!_" Bill pointed out, _clearly_ offended by the remark given by the lady.

"So, you don't like being called silly?" Karen asked, tilting her head innocently.

Bill shook his head, eyes narrowed. "Who does?"

Karen shrugged at the question. "Well, I guess it just depends on the person, right?" She mused, messing with Bill's hair and smiling.

"Sure, lady." Bill muttered, looking away.

"Well, anyway," Karen began, "You said you've never watched a movie, right?" She asked.

_Now she believes me. _Bill thought to himself, rolling his eyes. _It's about time this lady got some sense! _

"Uhuh." Bill muttered, raising an eyebrow. Her tone of voice was questionable, but he opted to ignore it for now.

"Well, I have some pretty good movies we could watch tonight." Karen offered with a shrug. "I can make popcorn."

"Popcorn?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Isn't that, like, that disgusting corn flavored soda companies hide inside hand soap bottles?" He asked.

Karen opened her mouth to speak, but shut it, not wanting to add a comment. "Uh.. no." She muttered. "You'll see!" She said, smiling once more.

Bill shrugged. "Alright, I'll try this 'popcorn' substance, kid. Er- uh... Karum."

"Karen." She corrected, for what had to be the tenth time that day. She wasn't exactly sure why Bill kept getting her name wrong, but she felt a bit bad correcting him on it all the time. She decided to walk over to the kitchen counter to make the popcorn. She grabbed a microwavable popcorn pack from out of the cupboard and popped it into the microwave.

Bill looked at the microwave as it heated the popcorn pack, the package slowly rising up. He raised an eyebrow and walked over to the kitchen gadget, turning off the microwave and opening it.

"What are you doing?" Karen asked.

Bill gave a small smirk, walking backwards with the package. "I'll be right back." He said, turning around and instantly_ slamming_ his hip into the counter unexpectedly. He laughed at the pain, and walked away to the storage closet.

_What's he doing? _Karen wondered. She wasn't exactly sure what Bill was going to do, but it was rather confusing.

Bill closed the storage closets door and snickered. "You mortals and your microwaves." He muttered to himself, placing the popcorn pack on the floor rather carefully. He stood up and took a deep breath, holding both his right middle and index finger down towards the popcorn packet, blue sparks forming atop it as he lit the bag on fire.

Karen noticed small blue sparks shining through the doorframe of the storage, which she questioned cautiously. "Bill?" She called out in concern.

"_Ow!_" Bill exclaimed from the closet, immediately bursting out in laughter rather than pain.

"Bill?" Karen called out again, walking over to the closet and hovering her hand over the doorknob to grab it. It was a useless move, as Bill had come out of the storage closet with a burnt bag, small holes poking through the packaging with a few popcorn kernels spilling out onto the floor.

"Popcorn's done!" Bill said with a smirk.

"How did you-?" Karen dared question, but Bill put a hand up.

"Don't question." He said, snickering as he walked over to the kitchen counter. "What do we do with this now?" He asked.

Karen shrugged. "Put it in a bowl and mix it around I guess, we can't really shake the package anymore now that there are holes in it." She muttered.

Bill nodded at the instruction and did so. Karen just smiled. "I can do that, why don't you go pick out a movie?" She asked.

"Me?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "I dunno, my taste might be way different than yours." He warned.

Karen shrugged. "I'm sure it won't be so bad." She said.

"Alright." Bill muttered, walking over to the living room to go look at the movie shelf Karen had against the wall.

* * *

Ford was alone in his lab, fidgeting with a pen as he thought to himself. It was nothing new, just the same things that had already been rushing through his head throughout the day. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, wishing there would be something else coming to mind.

Well, he figured Stan had been right; he _was_ growing rather tired. Before he knew it, he was fast asleep in his chair.

_Stanford's vision felt rather blurry as lights were surrounding him. He squinted his eyes as he looked around the room. Strangely, he woke up in the living room. _

_How on earth did I get back in the living room? Ford asked himself. It was rather confusing, but he didn't see any reason why it would be something to truly worry about. _

_"Hey, Sixer." Stan said, walking into the living room. "Uh... sorry about what I said earlier- er, uh... yesterday." He said, correcting his sentence. _

_Ford's vision was adjusting rather quickly to light; normally it took him a minute or so. "Oh," He blurted out, responding to his brother after temporarily spacing out. "It's... it's alright, I suppose." He muttered. _

_Stan just nodded. "Well, the gift shop opens again today. Don't think I'll be doin' a tour though, I need to get some new stuff for those tacky attractions people seem to like." He said. _

_"Have you ever considered bringing in a real attraction?" Ford asked, looking at Stan. "There are so many strange anomalies in Gravity Falls, why not display some real ones?" He advised with a shrug. _

_"Yeah, I'll pass." Stan stated, shaking his head and putting his hands on his hips. "The twins tried to do that once. It didn't end well." He muttered. _

_"Really?" Ford asked. "Dipper never told me about that." He said, adjusting his glasses. _

_"Probably better he doesn't, I don't want ya' gettin' any ideas." Stan said, rolling his eyes. "Who knows what you'll end up bringin' in." _

_Stan was probably right on that, Ford was known to study and observe many strange things. However, if he ran the Mystery Shack, surely things would be different. He'd give the town something to see, as long as it wasn't something too incredibly hazardous. The Mystery Shack probably wouldn't be able to handle a second person dying, it wouldn't look too good..._

_"Well, see ya', pointdexter." Stan said, adjusting his bowtie and fez hat before grabbing his 8-ball cane and walking through the 'Employee's only' door. _

_Stan walked through the door rather quietly, hoping to catch Ford's footsteps to see if he left the living room. He wasn't quite sure, which bothered him greatly. He grunted and walked through the front door, looking around outside to see the form of his worker, Wendy. _

_"Good, you're here." Stan said to Wendy. "He told ya' what to do, right?" He questioned. _

_"Huh?" Wendy asked. _

_Stan rolled his eyes. "Your dad, didn't he tell ya'?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips and glaring. _

_"No, not really." Wendy admitted with a shrug. "He was too busy planning what he's gonna do with Ford." She said, making a quote-unquote motion with her fingers. "Do you even know what's going to happen?" She questioned, confused. _

_Stan shook his head at the question. "More than you do, apparently." He said, scoffing. "Just lay low, kiddo." _

_Wendy nodded, shrugging. "Don't I always, mom?" She asked, pushing past Stan and walking into the gift shop. _

_"Stop callin' me that!" Stan exclaimed, glaring. "You're gonna blow our cover if ya' keep talkin' like that. From what I've heard, Ford's pretty clever. He'll know if somethin' about our personalities is too off." He stated. _

_Wendy just hummed, rolling her eyes and grabbing a magazine from off the cashier counter before sitting down. _

_"Now," Stan began. "Where's your brothe- uh... I-I mean, Soos. Where's Soos?" He asked. _

_"Dunno." Wendy said with a shrug. _

_Stan rolled his eyes and sighed obnoxiously. "You're supposed to be lookin' after him!" He reminded. _

_"He's old enough to handle himself! Besides, isn't Soos supposed to be dumb, anyway?" Wendy shot back, glaring. _

_Stan just rolled his eyes, storming out of the gift shop and heading outside to look for the handyman. Stan looked around, but couldn't find the handyman anywhere. "Where'd he go?" He muttered to himself, not exactly sure where he had gone._

* * *

Karen wasn't exactly sure why she owned horror movies. She was never too interested in the topic, however she felt a bit more comforted through it with Bill beside her as they sat on the couch together. Last time she had checked, none of her movies were too scary. But after she thought about it, this was a movie she hadn't seen since high school, so she figured it wouldn't be _too_ frightening.

As the movie went on, it became progressively scary. One jump scare got Karen to the point where she squealed in alarm and grabbed Bill's arm, snuggling against him in horror. Bill rolled his eyes at the reaction, especially when he figured out that she was scared of the _movie_ rather than _him_. Then he remembered that the only scary thing about his human form was his eyes._ Oh_, how he _missed_ being feared by mortals some days, how he hated the chance of _being_ a permanent mortal other days.

He wanted revenge. He wanted to kill the soft side that was beginning to grow on him. But how? How could he possibly prove himself to be a threat to the town, to the Pines, and to Ford? Bill had been wrong all along about Stanford, and he figured it was his turn to do something in return. Bill just needed something to do to prove that, and prove that Ford should have never messed with his feelings.

Bill began laughing hysterically in a certain scene of the movie when an infant was being given a curse by dark magic. Karen looked up at Bill and raised an eyebrow at his reaction, and as an excuse to take her eyes away from the screen. "What's so funny?" She asked.

Bill looked down at her and shrugged. "What's not funny about this?" He asked, smirking.

Karen gave a small look of disturbance as she drew her eyes back to the Tv screen hesitantly. "Well..," Karen began to mutter, but stopped herself, deciding it was best not to mention what had happened on her work shift today.

"'Well' what?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.

Karen just shook her head. "Nevermind." She muttered.

Bill sighed obnoxiously. "Aw, come on! Now I'm curious, what is it?" He questioned rather impatiently.

"I used to have nightmares about this scene." Karen admitted.

"Really?" Bill asked. Karen just nodded. "Why?" He continued.

"It was scary to me when I was younger." Karen said, shrugging.

"Oh," Bill muttered. "Is it still scary?"

Karen shrugged at the question. "Not as scary now that I have you beside me." She said with a small smile.

Bill cringed for a moment, but put on a smile. "You sure? I'm probably more scary than what's on the screen." He admitted cooly, shrugging.

"Oh, please." Karen said, laughing. "You'd need some sort of evil plan to prove _that_ to me." she continued. "It's not like you're gonna go finding a newborn just to curse it for life."

"That's pretty dark, Karen." Bill muttered.

"Hey, you remembered my na-" Karen began, but stopped when Bill began to shout.

"That sounds like a _great_ idea!" Bill exclaimed in glee. "Good idea, hun!" He praised, jumping off the couch rather quickly. Karen sat up and raised an eyebrow as Bill ran off out of the living room and into the bathroom, standing in front of the bathroom mirror and opening a cabinet beside it which he kept the few items he took when he had left the Mystery Shack.

He grabbed hold of the amulet and looked down at it with a sly smirk. "I don't need Sixer's lame research on the amulet's power to have confidence in this thing!" He stated to himself.

Bill had basically abandoned the movie, which Karen was completely unopposed to. Once Karen had fallen asleep, Bill walked back to the couch, laying down on it and spending the rest of the night _plotting_. He ran a hand through his hair and sighed. _Sixer's gonna be filled up with remorse once I pull this one off. _He told himself.

* * *

_The morning at the Mystery Shack was rather average. Nothing too out of the ordinary, at least not when Stanford was around. Before Ford knew it, the gift shop was being closed for the day as the sun began to set. Stan walked into the living room to see Ford writing down in his notepad. He looked up from his notes for a split second, noticing that his brother didn't look as worn out as he usually would after a day of work at the gift shop. _

_"Slow day today, Stan?" Ford questioned as he continued writing on his notepad. _

_"Huh?" Stan blurted out, raising an eyebrow. He was quick to understand the question, and just shrugged. "Oh, uh, yeah. Somethin' like that." He said. _

_Ford just nodded. "Well, I'm sure things will be a bit rougher tomorrow." He said with a chuckle. _

_Stan snickered at the comment. "Heh, yeah. Thanks, pointdexter." He said. He heard an audible knock on the front door and took a step back. "I'm gonna go see who's at the door." He volunteered. _

_"I can get it." Ford assured with a shrug. _

_Stan shook his head rather frantically at the offer. "No!" He exclaimed, louder than he should have. Ford looked up at him, raising an eyebrow. Stan noticed the look on Ford's face and chuckled awkwardly. "Heh, heh... uh, I insist." He said, walking to the door. _

_Ford just shrugged. "Suit yourself." He said, and went back to writing in his notes. _

_Stan slowly opened the doorknob and peeked outside on the porch, seeing the man who was expected to show up. "C'mon, hurry up..." Stan muttered. _

_"Good idea, genius." Bill muttered back with a glare. Stan just rolled his eyes. _

_"Sit on the stairs or somethin'." Stan said when Bill walked away from the living room's view, making sure that Stanford would be able to easily see him. "It's a good thing the twins disappeared in this dream." He added. _

_"Do you know how this stuff works, idiot?" Bill asked, rolling his eyes. _

_"Sure I do." Stan half-lied. _

_Bill sighed obnoxiously and began speaking in a half-mutter. "Whenever I decide to knock Ford unconscious, the state of how his world was when he falls asleep is how it stays in here. That's why it's dangerous to keep him in a dream for so long, because he'll know it was just a dream rather than thinking it was reality." _

_Stan scoffed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah. I knew that." He lied once more. _

_"No ya didn't, old guy." Bill shot back. _

_"Don't call me an old guy, demon!" Stan said, glaring._

_"I'm not a demon!" Bill said, glaring. "The person I'm posing as is a demon." _

_Stan rolled his eyes. "Well I'm not an old guy, either!" He exclaimed, loud enough that Ford heard it from the other room. _

_Stanley put a hand over his mouth, and Bill glared at him. "Now look what you've done!" He scolded. _

_"Stan?" Ford called out, about to stand up from off the couch. _

_Stan was quick to rush back into the living room. "Oh, uh..." He muttered. "Sorry about that, pointdexter. I've been talkin' to myself a lot recently. With the kids gone and all, ya' know." _

_Ford nodded in an understanding manner. "I used to do that once and a while." He said. "Oh, and Stanley?" He continued, as he began to write on his notepad._

_"Whaddya' want?" Stan asked. _

_Ford rolled his eyes at the remark, but proceeded. "How come you use nicknames so often?" _

_"What do you mean?" Stan questioned, folding his arms in confusion. _

_Stanford shrugged at the question. "Well, it's not often that you use my ordinary name. Often times, you call me 'Smarty pants', 'pointdexter," He continued, counting off his fingers with one hand as he wrote in his lap with a pen in the other. _

_"Sixer?" A voice continued. _

_Ford shook his head. "No, I was actually hoping you would stop calling me Sixer, Stanley. It's too painful to hear right now." He admitted with a sigh. _

_Stan raised an eyebrow. "I didn't say anything." He said, putting his hands on his hips. _

_"Don't be ridiculous," Ford said, looking up at Stan. "Who else could have-" He continued, but stopped when he saw a familiar face standing by the doorframe in a rather idle manner. It was Bill. _

_"Bill?" Ford questioned, squinting his eyes in confusion. "You're...you're back! Why?" He asked, surprised. _

_Bill shrugged at the question. "Dunno, outside world got boring." He said. "So I came back." _

_"You owe me a beer, jerk." Stan muttered, folding his arms. _

_Ford shot a glare at Stan, and looked back at Bill. "You came back? Just like that?" He asked. _

_"Yeah." Bill confirmed with a nod of his head. _

_"B-but... what about the poem?" Stanford asked, deeply confused. _

_"Oh, that!" Bill said, laughing. "Yeah, I've been working on my poetry." He said with a shrug. _

_"Poetry?" Ford repeated. "What kind of poetry would have such a warning?" _

_"My poetry." Bill stated with a small pout. "I like to keep my poems unique. Wouldn't everyone?" He asked with a small smile. _

_Ford ran a hand through his hair, standing up and shrugging. "Um.. I suppose so..." He muttered. "But please, Bill. Don't leave that sort of thing on my desk! You had me afraid that you wouldn't come back for the past two days!" He stated, adjusting his glasses. _

_"Aww, look at dear ol' Fordsy! Fearful for my pathetic life!" Bill said in a flattered manner, putting his hand by his forehead and acting as if he were about to faint for show. The action gave Ford a jolt of fear, but he knew that the demon enjoyed messing with him, so he figured that Bill wouldn't actually fall. _

_Then again, the man was well known to enjoy pain. _

_Stan rolled his eyes. "I'll leave the two of ya' to have your little reunion." He said, walking out of the living room. _

_"Take your time!" Bill shouted to Stan, which Stanley muttered a few negative responses that weren't clearly audible. He waited a moment until he was sure that Stan had left, and turned to face Ford, taking a step closer. "So," He began with an unreadable facial expression. _

_Ford wasn't sure how to respond, so he just raised an eyebrow. "..So?" He asked in a manner that sounded like more of a question rather than a response. _

_"You and Fidds." Bill said with a small nod, along with a minor look of unamusement. _

_Ford knew where this was headed, and he put his hands up by his shoulders in an innocent manner. "Oh, uhm… Bill, I can explain-" _

_"You don't have to!" Bill said with a wide smile. "I know it didn't mean anything to you!" _

_"So... y-you saw what happened?" Ford asked. _

_Bill rolled his eyes and scoffed sarcastically. "Of course I knew, smart guy! I'm all knowing!" _

_"Well, not so much anymore." Ford said in a joking manner. _

_Bill just rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Ford's neck. "Don't make a joke out of my suffering." He said with a false pouty-face. _

_"You know I never mean anything by it." Ford said with a reassuring smile as he looked into the man's eyes. He was glad that Bill had returned, and that his sudden disappearance had been nothing to truly worry about. If Bill had truly left for good, Ford wasn't exactly sure what sort of emotions he would feel for quite some time. Heartbreak would be a good word to describe it. _

_"So, you really missed me?" Bill asked in a rather surprised manner. _

_Ford nodded at the question. "Of course I did." He said, tilting his head. "Why wouldn't I?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. _

_Bill just shrugged. "Well, I figured you'd be happy that I left." He admitted with a small frown. _

_"What would make you think that?" Stanford asked. _

_"You're a mysterious man." Bill commented, shrugging once more. "__I can never tell for sure how you'll feel about something, you're filled with surprises!" He stated with a smile. _

_"Am I?" Ford mused, giving a sarcastic smirk. _

_"Yup." Bill confirmed with a nod of his head. "Remember when you were first exploring the anomalies of this town, and you didn't really want romance of any kind, because you figured it would get in the way of your research?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "Do ya' remember that, Sixer?" _

_Ford gave a small nod at the question. "Yes, I remember that." He said. "I suppose a lot _has_ changed, hasn't it?" _

_"Don't go thinking that's a bad thing!" Bill joked with a smirk, giving Ford a small peck on the cheek. __Ford's heart melted slightly at the gesture and brushed a few small blonde hairs away from Bill's eyes. Bill rolled his eyes at the gesture with a grin, and he reached one of his hands at the top of Ford's head, ruffling his hair gently. _

_Stan walked back from downstairs and looked at the two from the doorframe, scoffing dramatically. "Yeah, yeah. Skip the romantic gestures and just kiss already!" He commanded, sighing obnoxiously and walking away. _

_Ford rolled his eyes at his brother's comment, however Bill gave a more alluring smirk. He grabbed the back of Ford's hair and pressed their lips together. Ford cautiously put his hands at the sides of the other's hips, which Bill seemed completely unopposed to. Bill gave a gentle nip on Ford's bottom lip and pulled away. _

_Bill looked over at the doorframe and laughed. "Well, your brother reacted differently than you wouldda' though, huh?" He asked, snickering. _

_Ford just shrugged. "Yes, I suppose so..." He muttered. "My question is why." He said, looking down at his feet in confusion. _

_Bill shrugged. "His response probably feels like some sort of dream to ya'." He said innocently. _

_"That would be an accurate way to put it." Ford said with a nod of his head. _

_Bill hissed sarcastically, and rolled his eyes, looking at Ford. "Aww, too bad for you, pal!" He said. _

_Ford tilted his head in confusion at the response. "What?" He questioned, however the word didn't do him much good when he found his vision getting blurry once more. _

Before Stanford knew it, he was back in his laboratory, waking up into the cruddy reality his mind had left behind. It took him a moment to process the situation as his vision was once again rather blurry after waking up. However, when he found himself sitting in the very chair he had been sitting in when he drifted off to sleep, he understood the truth of it all, which left him in a strange and abnormal feeling of despair.

_What's causing this? _Ford asked himself. _This is the second time this has happened to me. It can't be Bill himself, the plate I had installed makes it so that I'm prone to this type of situation... whatever the hell this is, it needs to get out of my head!_

**Well, there's the next chapter for you! Again, I'm really sorry that there are a lot of breaks between the chapters events, there's a lot going on and I need to make sure it lasts. **

**I went to the library with my friend today, and- surprisingly - they _actually _had the Journal 3, so of _course _I'm now borrowing it over the 3-day weekend I have. (two weeks is the deadline that I can keep it for.)**

** The _bad _thing about getting the book is that I'm realizing a ton of stuff that I've mentioned in my story, however the facts are different than what's in this story! For example, the "Cubik's Cube" They mentioned, in earlier chapters, Ford gave Bill and ordinary "Rubik's Cube" Since I had no clue that the "Cubik's Cube" Was a thing in the Gravity Falls universe. Another thing is, apparently during the portal process Fiddleford was _married_! I knew he had a girlfriend at one point, but reading that he actually had a wife during the portal process made me feel like a total IDIOT today!**

**Luckily, this is just Fanfiction, and my excuse for my mistake is this: Fiddleford met her during college as well, and after Stanford went through the portal, Fiddleford realized that she had given birth to _his_ child while he had been away during the process. I feel absolutely _stupid _for not knowing this sooner, and I'm really sorry how dumb this explanation I just thought of sounds totally idiotic...**

**Yikess… **

**Anyway, new chapter up soon! This chapter is up earlier than I expected. I guess that's not really a bad thing though, as long as it's not terribly written or anything. (I actually feel _really_ flipping dumb right now, sorry...)**


	30. Shocking news destined for misfortune

**This chapter name took ten minutes to come up with, it was difficult finding a good summary for what is to come. **

**I don't usually like writing caps when someone is SHOUTING or super UPSET because it looks a bit extreme if I do it often, and it kinda starts to lose its effect. However, if you _do _see me_ ever_ writing in caps, run while you still can! **

**Here is chapter 33 of "Welcome Home"!**

It was an ordinary morning at Abuelita's house, Soos had taken the day off the day before to attend yet another doctor's visit for Melody, so the two could go to visit Dr. Lutwin's office once more. The doctor visits were getting more and more stressful as much as they were suspenseful. Melody was now _seven months_ pregnant, and the young couple was still yet to have the child's birth gender identified.

"Any new name ideas?" Melody asked. The couple had discussed names a few times, however they were never exactly sure what to go for.

"Not really." Soos admitted with a shrug as he put on his hat.

Melody shrugged and gave a small smile. "Well, we could always go with a more gender-neutral name." She recommended.

"That could work." Soos said with a nod of his head. "Aw, man. Why didn't we think of that earlier?"

"As much as I really like the name Brock if it's a boy, it might be best to plan ahead. There's still a couple months left." Melody advised with another shrug.

Soos nodded. "Yeah. Hey, what about Sam?" He recommended. "I kinda thought it would be a nice boy name, but that kind of name could be for anyone."

Melody hummed in minor distaste. "I don't know, Soos. I'm still not too sure about that one." She admitted, running a hand through her hair.

"You sure?" Soos asked with a small frown. Melody gave a slow nod, feeling a bit guilty for wanting to deny the name idea. "Okay," Soos said in more of a mutter. "Anyway, if it's okay with you, I was thinking you could come with me to the Mystery Shack today." He said with a shrug, "I think I'm ready to tell Stan and everyone else." He said.

"Sure!" Melody said with a smile. "That sounds nice." She commented. Soos grinned as he opened the front door. Melody thanked him and walked over to the car as Soos locked the door behind him. He caught up to Melody and took her hand in his as they walked to his truck.

The ride to the Mystery Shack wasn't too long, it only took a couple minutes of driving to get there since traffic was never busy. Soos was surprised- at first he had feared bringing up the news, but now he felt excited about it. He wasn't exactly sure how Stan would react, nor Ford or Wendy. _Oh snap, does Wendy know? _He wondered to himself. He was sure that if she _did, _the others would have heard about it by now. Then again, Dipper and Mabel could have told her at one point.

Before they knew it, they had gotten to the shack. Soos parked the truck and stopped the car, his hands fidgeting with the wheel. Melody noticed the reaction and put her hand on his shoulder with a reassuring smile. "Are you ready?" She asked.

Soos nodded in response. "I'm ready if you're ready." He said, giving a warm smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stan was in the kitchen in his ordinary suit and fez hat and grabbing a cup of coffee. He hadn't bothered to greet his brother that morning, as Ford appeared to be even more despondent and doleful than he had seemed the past few days. A wave of guilt passed by Stan when he looked at Ford. He felt as if he had truly upset him the night before when speaking so harshly about Bill. He felt a bit bad, however Stan knew that he wouldn't take back his words if he could. _The guy tried to kill my family, I'm not that gullible to forgive 'im. _

Ford, however, was pondering theories as he paced around the living room. Last night wasn't the first time he had encountered a situation like that. It had happened to him back in the holidays, but was this the same thing?

_No, that couldn't be so. _Ford told himself. _I was unconscious for a month then. This was merely a dream. _He tried to tell himself, however he wasn't completely sure that his theory could be correct. Dreams were normally shown to be rather strange, often changes of subjects, places, a variety of things. But what happened the night before, it didn't have the same 'dreaming' effect. It felt much more real, and too orderly to be just a dream. Unless it was his IQ pitching in with what happens in his dreams.

_That couldn't be it, either. _Ford continued to think, putting his hands behind his back as he continued to pace. He had faced many dreams in his lifetime, why would his head suddenly decide to be orderly? It has also been said that you forget most of what happens in your dreams, so wouldn't he have forgotten a majority of it by now? In fact, Ford could recall nearly everything that had happened, nearly everything that had been said._ It couldn't have just been a coincidence..._

Stanford kept thinking to himself, and eventually got to the ridiculous theory of the dream being some sort of message from Bill. He rolled his eyes at the thought, annoyed that his thoughts had gotten him to that ludicrous idea. He had stopped pacing and stood in place when he saw Stan looking at him, a concerned look on his face.

"Aw, pointdexter. Whaddya' doin'?" Stan groaned, face palming with a heavy sigh.

"Just...thinking." Ford muttered, looking away.

"Maybe ya' should try gettin' all this out of your head." Stan advised, walking over to his brother.

Ford sighed and shrugged. "Honestly, I wish I could." He admitted. "I just can't seem to stop thinking about this. _All of this._" He said, adjusting his glasses and putting his hands in his coat pockets.

"Well, it doesn't seem like thinkin' about it is doin' ya' any good." Stan stated bluntly.

Stanford just nodded in agreement. "I know, I know." He agreed in more of a mutter. "I apologize for being so unfocused recently." He said truthfully.

Stan shrugged dismissively. "Hey bro, I know how ya' feel." He said with a small smirk. "High six?"

Ford rolled his eyes as Stan raised his hand in front of him. He chuckled slightly and shrugged in agreement. "High six." He agreed. Stan grinned ear to ear at that, and practically slammed his hand against his brothers.

Stanford cringed slightly at the playfully violent gesture. "Dammit, Stan." He said, looking down at his hand and chuckling. Stan laughed mockingly at the look on his brother's face, and gave him a joking pat on the back.

"Hey, tellin' ya' to stop thinkin' about somethin' won't do nothin'." Stan began with a shrug. "So maybe that will!" He said, snickering.

"Well, it did take the subject off my mind for a moment, until you brought it up again." Ford said, rolling his eyes and chuckling.

Stan shrugged once more and put his hands on his hips. "It's progress, ain't it?" He asked.

Ford put a finger up, just about to correct his brother's grammar, when the twins heard the door's ringer bell over in the gift shop. Ford looked at Stan and raised an eyebrow. "I thought the gift shop didn't open for another hour."

"Eh," Stan began, "Could just be the tax collector comin' for the debt on that car I bought back 'round Christmas time."

"Excuse me?" Ford asked, narrowing his eyes in annoyance and raising an eyebrow. "Why would y-"

"Shush," Stan said, putting a finger up in front of him. "Leave this to me." He said, and pushed past the 'Employee's only' door. Behind the door, Ford could hear his brother exclaiming. "Welcome to the Mystery Shack, gent-" Stan began, but stopped speaking. Ford questioned why Stanley had stopped in the middle of his sentence, and he pushed on the door slightly, peering through the crack in the door.

"Stanley?" Ford called out, looking over at his brother and walking into the gift shop. He noticed the sudden look of surprise on Stan's face, and tilted his head. "Why do you look so... speech...less..." Stanford began to ask as he turned to look at the two people standing in front of them. It was at that moment when he realized just _why _his brother looked so surprised.

Standing in front of the twins were Soos and Melody. However, something was different from when Stanley had seen Melody last. Ford, however, had only seen the woman once; when she moved to Gravity Falls to work at the Mystery Shack with Soos. Even though he wasn't too properly acquainted to the lady, her pregnancy still came off as a surprise.

"Well," Stan hesitantly began, speechless. "You gained weight."

Ford shot a cold glare at his brother and stepped directly on his foot at the terribly inappropriate comment. "Ow!" Stan exclaimed, glaring back at Ford. "I was only jokin', pointdexter."

Ford folded his arms and muttered in a rather harsh tone. "Do you_ honestly_ believe that's a proper way to respond to something such as this?"

Soos chuckled nervously and adjusted his hat. "Um... Mr. Pines, _other_ Mr. Pines, this is Melody."

"Yes," Ford said with a small smile, putting his hand out for a handshake. "My apologies for not being well acquainted. How are you, Melody?" He asked, hoping to make a good impression.

Melody looked down at the man's hand, counting all the six fingers that she had heard about from Soos. She accepted the handshake and looked up with a smile on her face. "I've been good, thanks!" She said, grinning.

"That's good to hear," Ford said with a nod of his head. He looked over at Soos, a warm smile still apparent on his face. "Soos, it's good to see you here again." He greeted. "Congratulations." He added, adjusting his glasses.

"Hehe, thanks a lot, Mr. For- er, uh, Ford." Soos said with a smile.

Stan nodded and wrapped his arm around Soos's shoulder. "Yeah, good for the two of ya'!" He said, ruffling the top of Soos's hat in his ordinary aggressive behavior, smirking. "But why didn't ya' tell us about all this earlier?" Stan asked, taking a step back and folding his arms, raising an eyebrow.

"_Stanley._" Ford muttered through clenched teeth, clearly unamused by the way his brother's question had come out.

"_What_?" Stan asked, rolling his eyes. "Come _on_, Ford! I'm just askin'!"

Soos took his girlfriend's hand in his and shrugged. "Well, it just didn't feel like the right time." He admitted.

Melody nodded in agreement. "Yeah, we're still pretty new to this," She pointed out with a shrug of her shoulders. "We've been trying to take baby steps on the whole thing for most of it."

"That's completely understandable." Ford said with a nod of his head as he adjusted his glasses once more. "I've personally never shown much interest in having children, but parenting seems like a lovely fit for the two of you." He truthfully commented.

Stan looked at Soos when he noticed the handyman sniffle slightly. "Hey, you alright there, Soos?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Yeah," Soos said with a nod of his head, closing his eyes to hide the small tears forming in his eyes. "That's... _really_ nice of you to say, d-dude." He said. Melody looked up at Soos and chuckled silently, resting her head atop his shoulder.

"Does _Wendy_ know about this?" Stan asked. "More importantly, did the _twins_ know about this before _I_ did?"

Ford rolled his eyes and nudged his brother, scoffing at the question he had asked.

Soos nodded slowly. "Well, yes and no." He said. "Mabel and Dipper...well, they've known for a long time." He said. Stan grunted at the answer and folded his arms. "Wendy, I don't think she knows-"

As if the whole thing was being played out like a script, Wendy walked through the gift shop door whistling as she held her sack lunch in her right hand. Soos looked behind him to see the teenager, and his eyebrows raised instantly.

"Wendy, you're never early!" Stan said, putting his hands on his hips. "Don't go thinkin' your paycheck is gonna be raised if ya' work an extra thirty minutes."

Wendy looked at Stan and gave a cheeky smile. "Woah, is that an option?" She asked, acting as if she _hadn't_ already thought of that.

"No." Stan bluntly stated, narrowing his eyes.

Wendy groaned in slight annoyance and placed her sack lunch beside the cash register. She looked beside her and noticed the extra person in the room. "Oh man, what's up, Melody?" She asked, putting a hand up in the air with a smile.

"Just coming around for a visit." Melody responded with a smile, accepting the high-five.

"Nice!" Wendy responded with a wide grin. "Woah, are you pregnant?" She asked. Melody nodded at the question, and Wendy looked wide-eyed at Soos. "Is it yours, Soos?" The handyman nodded in response, and Wendy's mouth hung open. "Woah, man! That's totally _awesome!_"

"Hey, Soos?" Stan began. Soos looked over at him and tilted his head. "Does Bill know about this?" He asked. He noticed another sudden moment of silence filling the room, and realized what he had asked. He looked over at his brother who was slowly shaking his head, sighing as he looked away. Stan bit his lip at the look. "Oh, right." He muttered.

Wendy raised an eyebrow at the mentioning of a familiar name. "_Who_?" She asked.

"Nothin'." Stan muttered to the teenager. "Just some guy who ended up livin' here for a while." He informed, not wanting to explain that the 'Bill' he was speaking of was the _same_ Bill who caused the summer's previous Weirdmageddon._ That_ would get quite a reaction out of the girl for _sure._

"Huh," Wendy muttered, folding her arms, "Isn't that the same guy I saw your brother making out with on Christmas?" She questioned.

Ford's eyes widened suddenly at the question brought attention to, and he squinted his eyes shut. _Oh, for Pete's sake._ He thought to himself. _If Stan catches onto any of this information, I'll never hear the end of it. _

"Say _what_?" Stan asked, small force in his voice as he clenched his fists. He looked over at his brother and put his hands on his hips. "What's she talkin' about, _STANFORD?" _He pressed, glaring.

"Oh.. uh, I-I'm sure it's nothing." Ford stammered, a jolt of fear suddenly running through him.

"_Really_?" Stan asked. "That don't sound like_ nothin_'." He stated, narrowing his eyes.

Ford just scoffed, seeing that his only hope in ending this conversation would be to use his IQ to overpower the conversation. Even if what he was saying was complete nonsense, his brother wouldn't be able to tell the difference. "Stanley, you know how teenagers can be,_ we_ were teenagers once!" He began.

"Your _point_?" Stan asked, his glare getting colder.

Ford rolled his eyes and sighed. "Allow me to explain. My point _is_ that in recent clinical trials on teenagers between the age of fourteen to seventeen, the average teen can experience minor to major nonsensical memories that they believe to recall at times, depending on their average state of mind. Their neuro ability to process things they may have seen in dreams can become rather toxic depending on the specific situations they claim to recall. These types of neuro problems can-" He continued, but stopped when Stan gave a clear sign of annoyance.

Stanley sighed obnoxiously and grunted. "Alright, alright, smarty pants. Ford's the genius, teenagers are dumb, we understand." He muttered, scoffing.

Wendy rolled her eyes at her boss's statement, but decided not to comment. Ford, however, was quite pleased with himself. What he was saying was complete nonsense for the most part, but throwing out words such as 'neuro', 'clinical', and 'average' always seemed to bore Stan to the point where he wouldn't bother listening.

Soos and Melody looked at each other, very confused on what exactly was going on. "Uh..." Soos muttered, looking at his boss. "Mr. Pines, w-"

"Take the day off, Soos." Stan advised. "You'll need it." He said, using it as an excuse.

Soos tilted his head at the unusual offer. "Are you sure, Mr. Pines?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah." Stan said, waving his hand dismissively. "Go skip on back to your house and do whatever you do on your spare time. I'm not kiddin' about the skippin' part, just make sure the baby doesn't fall out while you're doin' it." He said, laughing at his own joke.

Ford shot a glare at Stan and rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the horrid statement. "Have a good week, you two." He said with a smile, hoping to avoid drawing attention to the comments his brother was making.

Melody smiled and gave a small wave before taking hold of her boyfriends' hand. "Goodbye!" She said, grinning.

"See you dudes later!" Soos added with a smile. With that, the couple walked to the gift shop door.

The couple stepped away from the gift shop, walking over to the car. Melody was about to step into the passenger seat as Soos stood beside the front seat, but he hesitated to step inside the vehicle. Melody noticed the hesitation and raised an eyebrow. "Soos, are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

"Do we..," Soos began, deeply confused. "Do we actually have to skip?" He questioned, stumped.

Melody chuckled softly. "I'm sure Stan was only joking." She assured.

"I don't know," Soos muttered. "I've been working at the shack for years, and I still can't tell when he's joking or not." He admitted with a shrug. He suddenly smelled the scent of donuts, which gave him a small craving. "Aw, man," Soos began with a small smile. "You know what I could totally go for right now?"

"Donuts?" Melody asked, practically guessing. She knew Soos well enough to know the sugary snacks that he loved.

Soos nodded and chuckled. "That's what I was just thinking!" He said with a smile, quickly getting into his truck and starting the car.

"Are you sure there's a donut place here?" Melody asked. "I've never heard of one being in Gravity Falls."

"I know a place." Soos answered with a reassuring smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill was laying down on Karen's couch, watching the ceiling fan spin. He realized that when he focused on a certain blade on the fan, the device would appear to be moving slower. Karen walked out of her bedroom, adjusting her tan apron and wrapping the brown ribbon around her waist.

"Do ya'_ have_ to go?" Bill groaned in minor annoyance.

Karen nodded at the question. "Yeah, I need to go to work today. John called in sick, so I might have to work an extra hour or two." She said with an annoyed sigh.

"John's a wimp." Bill commented, rolling his eyes.

"Well, we don't want our customers getting sick if he was to go to work." Karen said with a shrug. "I'll be back before you know it."

Bill groaned obnoxiously, sighing. "What am I supposed to do until you get back?" He asked.

Karen just shrugged. "Well, you could watch Tv, read a book, sleep. Whatever you want, basically." She said.

"I don't wanna be alone." Bill stated, folding his arms and scowling.

"I'll be back, I promise." Karen said with a reassuring smile, walking over to Bill and ruffling his hair gently.

Bill narrowed his eyes, but agreed. "Fine." He muttered, looking away.

Karen just smiled at this. "Aww, you're so_ cute_!" She cooed with a grin.

"Cute?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Not me."

"Yes you!" Karen said, chuckling as she walked over towards the door. "I'll be back soon." She announced, putting a hand on the doorknob and twisting it, opening the front door and stepping into the hallway.

Bill watched the woman leave and grunted. "Traitor." He muttered, rolling his eyes. "She just expects me to occupy myself with useless mortal activities?" He questioned aloud, scoffing. He sat up straight and looked around the room, eyes narrowed slightly. Surely there was something he could do.

He tried it all. Jumping off the couch for no reason, slamming his arm into the kitchen drawers, touching the inside of a toaster while it was over-toasting bread, even attempting to comb his hair with a butter knife. Even after trying to occupy himself, he just couldn't seem to enjoy his time alone. He ended up randomly walking around the apartment, eventually looking over at the front door. For some strange reason, he felt like a dog waiting for its owner to come home.

He looked to the left of the door at the corner, seeing a basket with a few objects inside. Bill narrowed his eyes at the basket, he had never taken much time to look through it before. He looked down at the woven basket and noticed a strange wooden object. However, it wasn't bare wood. It had been polished, glazed with some sort of shiny material.

Bill picked up the object and noticed a total of four white strings on the object. He squinted his eyes, grabbing the first string with one hand and plucking it upward. The string made a strange noise, not too loud, but not exactly quiet after silence had filled a room. It was loud and sudden enough to make Bill flinch. It took a few moments for him to realize just what it was.

_Hm... _Bill began, humming in an understanding manner. _This is what the fleshbags use for music, right? _He wasn't exactly sure, for he had never seen an object like it before. The closest thing he had ever seen to something like this was the loud, annoying instrument Fiddleford would often play while he and Ford were working on the portal all those years ago. Since bill had nothing else to do, and physical pain was becoming rather boring, he took the instrument and sat down on the couch.

He looked down at the slim, long board on the instrument with small horizontal lines that appeared to be separating something. Bill questioned the separation and placed his index finger down on one of the strings. The strings felt a bit sharp on his fingers at first, but as he continued to hesitantly maneuver his fingers around the board, strumming occasionally and admiring the sounds that came out of the instrument. The fact of the chords actually sounding _good_ didn't really matter to Bill.

_How didn't I know about these things sooner? _Bill asked himself. _All that time of immortal life and I never knew this type of instrument existed! _He wasn't exactly sure if he was using the object correctly, but being able to produce sounds from the instrument that weren't half bad made him feel as if he were accomplishing something.

* * *

"Okay, okay," Soos began, chuckling as he stopped at the stop light. "If you could only have one or the other for the rest of your life, which would you choose?" He asked Melody. "Chocolate donuts or Maple bars?"

"That's a tricky one," Melody admitted, nodding slowly in consideration as she pondered the thought in her head. "I would probably go with... Maple bars." She answered with a shrug.

"Wow, really?" Soos asked as the traffic light turned green. "I mean, it's not a bad choice, but I'm kinda surprised you'd pick Maple bars over the basic donut." He said, chuckling.

Melody shrugged and smiled. "Well, they're both_ really_ good. I used to have chocolate donuts all the time as a kid, so I guess the flavor started to ware off a little over time." She said.

"That's understandable." Soos said with a shrug. He turned the corner and saw the donut shop. "Oh, there it is!" He said, grinning ear to ear.

"I've never seen this place before," Melody said. "Did they just open?"

Soos shook his head at the question. "No, they've been open for a few years, a lot of people go to the diner for donuts these days though." He said, shrugging. "The people here are really nice."

"Do you know them personally?" Melody asked.

Soos squinted his eyes in consideration and shrugged. "Well, not really. But I recognize some people once and a while." He said as he opened his car door, stepping outside and shutting the trucks door behind him. Melody did the same, carefully stepping out of the vehicle.

The couple walked into the donut shop and were greeted by the smell of freshly baked donuts, freshly poured coffee, and a few other pleasant smells. The donut shop wasn't crowded with people, there was one man who had just walked away from the counter after grabbing his order. The booths beside the windows had a few people sitting at them as well. Soos and Melody were pleased to see no line at the counter, so they went right up.

Soos rang the small bell on the counter, and they heard a feminine voice from the kitchen calling out to them. "One moment, please!" The couple waited a moment, and the lady came out of the kitchen, setting down a drying rag and grabbing her pen and notepad. "Hello!" She greeted with a smile. "What can I do for the two of you today?" She asked, leaning on the counter slightly. Soos and Melody both read the name tag that read _Karen_, and Soos was starting to think that he had seen the lady here before at one point.

"Well-" Melody began, but was stopped when the woman gave an obnoxious gasp.

"Oh my gosh!" Karen exclaimed with a wide grin, noticing the other woman's pregnancy. "Congratulations!"

Melody gave a small smile, however she couldn't help but feel that there were multiple eyes on her at that moment, which gave her a feeling of unease. "Oh, um... thank you!" She stated, giving an awkward smile.

"You know, I've considered having kids in the past," Karen began, grabbing the nearest cup and drying it. "But I hadn't really met anyone back then." She admitted, shrugging. "But who knows? I just might have a shot at being a real mom in the future. There's this guy I met, he can be a_ bit_ strange sometimes, but he never fails to humor me." she said, chuckling.

Soos smiled at that. "Good for you, dawg!" He said, giving a thumbs up. "What's his name?"

"Soos!" Melody muttered, looking up at her boyfriend. Melody was rather afraid that the question he had asked would offend the lady in some way.

"Nah, It's okay!" Karen assured, snickering with a smile. "His name is Bill, pretty mysterious guy."

"Huh," Soos muttered, looking down at the ground. "I know a dude with the same name."

"_Really?_" Karen asked, humming. "What a coincidence!" She commented. "Do you think he's the same Bill that I know?" She questioned.

Soos shook his head at the question. "I doubt it, dawg. The Bill I know is... _really_ strange. He kinda gives me the chills. He's convinced that pain is funny." He admitted, folding his arms. "Speaking of chills, do you dudes still serve those chilled cruller things?" He questioned. "Those things are pretty good, but I haven't had them in a while."

"Of course we do!" Karen said, chuckling. "Do you want that?" She asked, putting down the cup and picking up her pen and paper once more.

"Yeah dude!" Soos said, grinning from ear to ear. "Er- I mean, yes please." He said, chuckling awkwardly as he corrected himself.

"Alright," Karen said, writing the order down on her notepad. "And for you?" She asked, looking at Melody.

"Oh," Melody began, not sure what types of donuts the shop offered. She hadn't had much time to look at the menu. "Um, I'll just go with a basic chocolate iced donut, please." She said.

"Any fillings?" Karen questioned. Melody shook her head. "Any toppings?" Karen asked. Melody shook her head once more. "Any glaze?" She questioned.

"No thanks." Melody said, shaking her head.

Karen nodded, writing down the order. "Going with the basics I see!" She said, snickering. "Coming right up."

The couple thanked the woman and went to sit down at a booth by the window to wait patiently for their order. Soos looked out the window and chuckled. "Oh man, I can't imagine Bill being in some sort of relationship. Do you know how crazy that would be if he ever got into one?" He asked Melody.

Melody raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Bill..." She muttered. "Isn't that the guy that one girl was talking about at the gift shop earlier?"

"Huh?" Soos blurted out, raising an eyebrow.

"Bill, the guy that your coworker said was..." Melody began, but decided not to explain. "Uh, never mind, actually."

"Oh, the guy that started the Armageddon last summer?" Soos asked. "Yeah, that's him."

"No, that's not what I was talking ab-" Melody began, but she stopped in the middle of her sentence when her eyebrows raised. "Wait,_ what?_" She asked, very confused.

Soos opened his mouth to speak, however he wasn't sure how to explain. Luckily, Karen came over to their booth in the nick of time. "I have your order! Here is the chilled cruller for Soos, and the chocolate donut for Melody!" She said with a smile.

"Woah, that was fast!" Melody said, amazed. However, she was rather confused on how Karen had gotten her name.

Karen smiled at this, "Yeah, I never like to keep the customers waiting!" She said. "Anything else I can get for the two of you?" She asked. When the couple denied the question, Karen was quick to head back to the counter after seeing another customer walk through the door.

"Hey, Soos?" Melody began hesitantly.

"Yeah?" Soos answered before taking a bite from his pastry.

"How does she know my name?" Melody asked, raising an eyebrow.

Soos shrugged. "I think I _have_ talked to her before, I recognize the name. I used to come here a _lot_, and I'm pretty sure I told her about you at one point." He admitted with a shrug.

"Oh," Melody said, chuckling with a small smile. "Am I really that interesting?"

Soos shrugged once more at the question. "You are to me!" He answered with a smile.

* * *

"Mr. Pines?" Wendy began, standing up from the chair by the register.

"Hm?" Stan answered, keeping his eyes focused on his newest gift shop prop; the Chick-hen!

"Are Dipper and Mabel coming back this Summer?" Wendy questioned. It was the weekend, and even though she wasn't thrilled about going to work on the weekend, she didn't mind showing up today in hopes of getting the information she was hoping for.

Stan's eyes widened at the question. "_Holy mackerel!_ I forgot to tell Stanford the news!" He exclaimed, rising up and hitting his head on a shelf above the wall. "_Ow!_" He exclaimed, taking off his hat and rubbing the top of his head.

"The... news?" Wendy repeated, confused. "What news?" She asked. However, her questioning seemed to be of no use, for Stanley had already bolted out of the gift shop to go inform his brother of a matter before he could respond. Wendy just sighed and looked over at the door as a random customer walked in. "Welcome to the Mystery Shack." She muttered.

Meanwhile, Stan was dashing through the home. He ran through the living room, checking rooms one by one. "Stanford!" He exclaimed. However he heard no response. He bolted towards Ford's bedroom and opened the door, seeing his brother attempting to sleep.

"Whatr'ya doin' sleepin' in the afternoon?" Stan questioned.

"I haven't gotten much rest recently." Ford admitted, putting his glasses back on and sitting up in his bed. "I need to get a bit more energy. I've never required much sleep, but I believe going this long without it is unhealthy."

Stan folded his arms. "How long's it been?"

"A week." Ford responded, his bottom eyelid twitching slightly.

"Yeesh," Stan muttered. "Well, I got some news." He said, opting to change the subject.

Ford adjusted his glasses before responding. "What kind of news?" He questioned hesitantly.

"The twins'll be comin' back soon!" Stan answered with a wide grin. "Somethin' about their school and their parents goin' on vacation." He informed, shrugging dismissively.

"Did you get any information that was a bit more..._ clear_?" Stanford questioned, hoping that there was more information to the subject.

"Nope." Stan stated.

"Oh," Was all Ford could say to that. "Well, that's the best news I've heard all week." He admitted with a small chuckle.

"Your week with..._ no sleep_. Right." Stan muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Hey," Ford began in defensive manner. "I _did_ have a short nap last night."

Stan rolled his eyes at this. "_Really?_" He asked, leaning against the doorframe. "How much sleep did ya' get, pointdexter?"

"Uh..," Ford muttered, lifting his glasses up slightly and rubbing his eyes in a gentle manner. "Nine?"

"Hours?" Stanley questioned, surprised.

"...Minutes." Ford corrected in more of a mutter.

Stan just scoffed. "Well, I'll let ya' sleep." He said before shutting the bedroom door and heading towards the living room. With that, Stanford sighed and laid back down, bringing his blanket up closer to his shoulders. Generally, sleep was never too important to him. In fact, after the event that had occurred in his dreams the night before, he didn't_ want_ sleep. He didn't want to have to have another dream similar to his previous one, it would only make him feel _worse_.

He wasn't sure_ why_ Bill had left, and he would do _anything_ to learn the truth.

* * *

A few hours later, Karen returned to her apartment with a grocery bag in hand. "Bill?" She called out, closing the door and placing her car keys atop the kitchen counter. "I'm back!" She informed.

Bill poked his head up from the couch, sitting up and looking at the lady. "You were gone all day!" He pouted with a frown.

"Yeah, I worked a little later today." Karen informed. She noticed an instrument beside Bill and said an eyebrow. "Whatcha' got there?" She asked with a smile.

"Uh," Bill began in more of a mutter, not knowing the specific name of the object. "It's an instrument." He said, holding it up.

"Oh!" Karen gasped with a grin. "You found my ukulele!" She said with a smile. "I've been looking for that all week."

"But... it was right in that basket." Bill muttered, rather unamused by the foolishness. He pointed over to the woven basket, and Karen looked in the same direction.

"Huh," Karen began. "I guess I forgot I put it there."

Bill ran a hand through his hair and laughed. "Jeez, humans can be so forgetful!" He commented.

"What?" Karen questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Bill noticed what he had said and opened his mouth to find himself momentarily at a loss of words. "Uh... yeah." He repeated in an unsure manner. "Humans are _really_ forgetful sometimes. But, uh... I would know, right?" He asked, laughing awkwardly and scratching the back of his neck. "Because I'm uh, I'm a human _too_!"

"Of course you are!" Karen said, snickering. She walked closer to the couch and sat down beside Bill, looking at the ukulele in his lap. "Do you play?"

Bill shrugged at the question. "I don't know, I've never tried that intimate stuff." He admitted.

"Uh," Karen muttered in minor unease. "N-no, I mean the instrument. Do you know how to play?" She asked.

"_Oh!"_ Bill said, laughing a bit longer than he should have. "Uh, not really." He answered. "I tried, but I'm not sure if I'm doing it right."

"Well," Karen began. "It's not hard to learn. Once you learn a couple chords, you can do pretty much anything!" She said with a smile.

"_Anything_?" Bill repeated, grinning from ear to ear. "Like, _literally_ anything?" He asked, immediately interested in the power the instrument may posses.

"Pretty much!" Karen said with a friendly smile. She grabbed the ukulele from the man and put her finder on the fourth string, third fret, making a C chord. It made a lighter sound than a sound the instrument would play if you weren't pressing down on any strings.

Bill's eyes widened at the sound. "That sounds better than the crap I did!" He praised with a grin. "Ya' think you could teach me some of those finger placements, lady?" He asked.

Karen nodded eagerly at the question. "Totally!" She responded with a warm smile. "Sounds fun."

"Speaking of fun," Bill began. "What's your work like? Is_ that_ fun?" He asked. To his surprise, he was rather curious about the lady's job.

Karen shrugged. "It can be fun sometimes. The customers are usually really nice. One couple came in today, and we had a small conversation. It's always nice to see the people in this town communicating." She said with a smile.

"What kind of conversation?" Bill questioned.

"A conversation about_ you._" Karen said with sly smile.

Bill just raised an eyebrow at this, tiling his head. "_Me_?" He repeated, confused. "Why _me_?"

"It's kinda hard to explain," Karen admitted with a shrug of her shoulders. "But me and this guy named Soos were talking about people we knew. Apparently he knows a guy named Bill too!" She said with a small laugh. "Isn't that funny?"

"Uh," Bill began hesitantly at the mention of the man's name. "Y-Yeah, totally funny!" He lied, chuckling fearfully. "But, how come you two were talking?" He questioned, hoping to get an answer.

Karen shrugged once more. "Well, I like to socialize. And his girlfriend Melody is pregnant now, so I figured it would be kind to have a short conversation."

"Girlfriend?" Bill repeated. He only knew one man named Soos, so this_ had_ to be the same guy. "Did you, uh, catch his girlfriends _name_ by any chance?" He questioned.

Karen nodded. "Melody." She informed.

Bill's eyes widened at this. _Holy crap, who knew Question mark would ever be a dad? That's weird... _

"So," Karen started. "Would you ever be interested in watching a comedy movie? Those have always been my favorite movie genre." She informed with a smile.

"I guess so." Bill responded with a shrug. At the mention of a movie, it reminded him of the movie he had seen the night before. It was a decent movie, and it seemed rather funny to him. "But, didn't we just watch a comedy_ last_ night?" He questioned.

Karen ran a hand through her hair, chuckling awkwardly and looking away. "Uh," She muttered, "That... _wasn't_ a _comedy_." She informed hesitantly.

"It wasn't?" Bill began, "The cursing part was pretty funny in_ my_ personal opinion." He said with an innocent shrug.

"I don't know," Karen muttered. "_I_ don't think cursing a newborn is funny, but I guess everyone has different opinions!" She said with a smile.

_Curse... _Bill thought to himself, humming slowly.

_Newborn... _He continued to think, folding his arms. Melody tilted her head and raised an eyebrow at the strange motions Bill was giving without context, but decided not to question the behavior.

_Melody... _Bill continued to ponder, squinting his eyes and looking down as he thought.

Until suddenly, he gasped in sudden realization.

"Bill?" Karen addressed, clearly confused. "Are you okay?"

Bill nodded with a large grin. "Heck yeah!" He said with a nod of his head. "I know how to get revenge on Sixer!"

"Uh... Sixer?" Karen questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What's a Sixer?" She asked. Karen assumed her question hadn't been heard when Bill suddenly rose from the couch and ran off to another room. She watched the man leave as she was left deeply confused.

Bill locked himself inside Karen's bedroom, pacing around the room with a sly smile on his face. _This stunt is sure to teach dear Fordsy a lesson! _He thought to himself. _If this plan works out, he'll be sorry for what he did! All I have to do is wait until the day Melody has her kid, go to the hospital, and possess the poor little fleshbag that she will soon possess! _

Bill was very sure about his plan; he was convinced that there was absolutely nothing that could get in the way of his plan-

Until he realized something. Something _very_ important.

_How am I supposed to possess the child in the first place? _Bill asked himself. _What kind of curse do I want to give the child, anyway? _The questions stumped Bill, but he was sure he would find a way.

Bill's train of thought was disturbed when he heard a knock on the door. He walked over to the door and unlocked it, twisting the doorknob and opening the door to see Karen standing in front of him. Bill huffed in minor annoyance. "What?" He asked, the question coming out a bit more harsh than he had intended, however he wasn't planning to apologize for it.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." Karen admitted with a shrug. "You acted a bit strange a minute ago. Are you sure everything is alright?" She questioned, putting a hand on Bill's shoulder.

"Yup." Bill said with a sly smile.

"Well, alright then." Karen muttered. She was quick to form a smile on her face as she looked back up at the man. "Hey, did you hear about the magic festival going on tomorrow?" She asked.

"Magic festival?" Bill repeated. "No."

"_Oh_, they're _so_ cool!" Karen exclaimed with a large smile. "It happens once a year, and they're_ always_ a blast! I've never had anyone to go with, but I was thinking maybe you and I could go." She said, looking away.

Bill tilted his head at this. "Like a date?" He questioned.

Karen shrugged slowly, a small smile reappearing on her face. "I...I _guess_ you could call it that." She said, smiling.

"Sure." Bill said with a shrug.

"_Really_?" Karen questioned in immediate joy, her eyes widened. "Are you sure?"

"Why not?" Bill said, walking back to the living room in a chill manner.

Karen was at a loss of words, but she was overjoyed that Bill had accepted the offer. "Uh.._. great_!" She said, smiling.

Bill laughed as she looked over at the lady. "You sure smile a lot!" He commented.

Karen gasped in immediate fear. "I-is that bad?" She asked.

Bill shook his head. "Nah, It's kinda cool." He admitted. "It just might win ya' a guy someday!" He added with a wink.

"You think so?" Karen asked, fidgeting with her hair.

Bill rolled his eyes at the question. "I just said it, didn't I?" He asked, unamused.

"Oh," Karen said, laughing. "Yeah, you did. Sorry!" She said, still snickering.

_A magic festival... _Bill thought to himself. _I better remember to bring the amulet, maybe the idiots of this town could be of use for my power hungry demands! _He said. He let out an insane laugh for a moment, which Karen questioned for a short moment. Bill just smirked. _Sixer's gonna be sorry. _

_I'll make sure of it. _

**There's chapter 33! Okay, okay, I _know _the whole 'newborn possession' topic is rather dark... but, in my storyline's defense, this _is _Bill we're talking about. An upset, betrayed, _heartbroken _Bill. (Even if he chooses to deny the 'heartbroken' bit.) The reason for Bill's little possession idea is something I can't really explain yet, however it has a good reason on why his plan is such a twisted idea.**

**I still feel kinda dumb; I finished the Journal 3 book today, and it says towards the end that Stanford and Fiddleford had a rather long talk about their past and what had happened in the thirty years they had spent apart. (Shortly after the events of Weirdmageddon), And before McGucket moved into the mansion he currently lives in now. I _really _wish I had been able to read the journal sooner, however I'm glad that I was able to read it _now _rather than finding out_ wayyy_ later in the process of this fic. Thankfully it's nothing severe to worry about. **

**New chapter will be up soon! Probably in the next week, I've been having to write as much as possible on the weekends since I have basketball games to participate in every Monday and Wednesday, along with practices on the other weekdays. Yep, I play basketball. (And Track in the spring/summer). There's a pointless little fun fact about me (:**


	31. Magic Festival

**Honestly, _HOW_ has this story gotten over 4,000 views? That's absolutely crazy! I honestly don't deserve all the support on this fic, thank you guys_ so_ much!**

**Okay, so I _think_ the hand witch's name is Handrina, unless it's just a name I've gotten used to from another fanfic I've read? I'm not very sure. I have a small fear running through my head that I'm accidently taking the name 'Handrina' from another fanfic author. The name of the hand witch was never mentioned on the wiki, so I believe it was just a name that had been made up. I don't think I'll use the name just because I don't want to take a name from another story/author.**

**Also, Dipper and Mabel's parents don't play a very big role in this fanfic at all, so I'm not going to bother giving them names since they are only present in playing a role for a small section of this chapter.**

**Here is chapter 34 of "Welcome Home"! **

"Thanks fer' offerin' ta' give me a ride, Stanford." Fiddleford said as he buckled the passenger seats seatbelt. Ford had driven to McGucket's house to pick him up moments ago to take him to the shack.

"It's no trouble." Ford assured with a smile as he started up the car. Fiddleford looked out the window and viewed the scenery around him as the driver performed a Y turn, beginning to drive down the mountains path.

"So," Stanford began as he performed the continuous turn of driving down the mountain, "There's some news I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear." He informed.

"Like what?" Fiddleford asked. "Did Cipher come back?" He questioned.

Ford bit his lip at the mention of the man and sighed. "Um, no." He muttered. Fiddleford saw the frown on his friend's face and wanted to kick himself for asking such a senseless question. "Actually," Ford continued, "The twins will be visiting for a bit, according to Stanley." He said.

"Really?" Fiddleford asked, surprised.

Ford nodded at the question, "Really." He confirmed with a small smile. "As pleased as I will be to see the twins again, I have a matter to discuss with Mabel." He said as they reached the bottom of the mountain.

McGucket tilted his head at this. "What kinda' matter?" He questioned, confused.

"Well," Ford began, "She was in contact with that boy who had once been in possession of the amulet. What was his name?" He questioned, muttering the question to himself.

"Gideon." Fiddleford answered.

Ford nodded, remembering. "Right, that was it. Thank you." He said, chuckling softly. "I was considering paying the boy a visit. However, I'm not sure what type of relationship Mabel has with Gideon. I will have to speak with her about all of this before making any plans." He said.

"Even if ye' don't have a plan, do ye' have any ideas?" Fiddleford asked.

Stanford shrugged at the question. "Well, I have a few things in mind." He admitted.

"Like what?" Fiddleford asked hesitantly.

Ford gave a faint laugh and glanced over at the man before taking his eyes back onto the road. "I see you still ask a lot of questions, just like you did back when we were in college." He said with a small smile.

"O-oh," Fiddleford stammered, laughing awkwardly. "S-sorry. I-I just like to be..._informed_." He said, muttering the last bit and looking away with a frown.

"Well, that's not such a bad thing." Ford said with a shrug. "I tend to ask a lot of questions myself."

"Right..." McGucket muttered. "I guess it's not a bad thing." He said with a shrug. He was hoping the subject could be changed as soon as possible. "Hey, uh... Stanford?" He began in a hesitant manner.

"Yes?" Ford answered.

Fiddleford was hesitant, but continued. "What would ye' do if getting out of somethin' seemed hopeless?" He asked. He didn't want to be _too_ specific with his question, because he knew the government agents would monitor their conversation at one point. For all he knew, Mr. Powers could be watching him right_ now_.

Ford shrugged at the question. "Well," He started, "Just do what you think is right." He said. "Then again, it _does_ depend on the circumstances. Why?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, uh..," McGucket muttered. "No reason." He assured.

Ford was silently questioning the questions and reaction, but decided not to think much of it._ Surely_ it was nothing to be concerned about, right?

* * *

Dipper and Mabel had been packing their bags all day. They were told to pack the night before, however they never got to it since they stayed up late talking about their old friends who they would see once again. They spoke about the journals, the town's weirdness, Soos and Melody, and some random things they had sworn to have seen when they had last visited Gravity Falls in the summer. Mabel had made sure to keep Bill out of the conversation as much as possible; she didn't want to get in a heated argument with her brother about the demon the night before their visit.

It was reaching 1:00 in the afternoon in California, and the twins had finally gathered the majority of their items. They put their bags in the trunk of their car before their parents drove off to the bus stop.

When the family reached the bus stop, their father parked the car near the bus stop. He turned to look at the children and gave a small smile. "You two have fun." He said.

"We will!" Mabel assured gleefully, grinning from ear to ear.

"Yes, have fun." Their mother agreed. "But not_ too_ much fun. I swear, if I hear _one more thing_ about those _'monsters'_ and '_spirits_', well, I'll surely lose my sanity!" She said, narrowing her eyes.

Their father rolled his eyes at the statement and looked at his wife. "That won't happen, honey." He assured. He looked at Dipper and Mabel and smiled once more. "Make sure you tell your uncles I said hello." He said.

"Oh, _right_," The twins mother muttered. "There's_ two_ of them, aren't there?" She scoffed and rolled her eyes. "I wish we would have known that our children were being sent to live with Stanley rather than Stanford last summer. If we knew Stanley was posing as Stanford, I never would have sent them-!"

"Now, darling." The father muttered. He looked at the twins and gave a small wave. "We'll see you kids soon. Stay in touch!" He said with a smile.

"I'll send post cards!" Mabel exclaimed with a large smile.

"I'll send letters!" Dipper added with a grin.

"That's the spirit!" Their father said with a smile. "Have fun, you tw-" He continued, but stopped in his sentence when Dipper and Mabel dashed out of the car, running towards the bench beside the bus stop.

The mother scoffed at the behavior. "They don't even say goodbye!" She complained.

"I'm sure they're just excited." The father said with a shrug.

"I know..." The woman muttered, looking away. "I'll miss them while we're off in Vegas." She said with a small smile.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stan was waiting around in the gift shop along with Wendy and Soos. The three found themselves continuously looking up at the clock to see what time it was; and how long they would have to wait until the twins would arrive.

"Any time now..." Soos muttered.

"Mr. Pines, are the twins gonna walk to the shack when they get here?" Wendy asked.

Stan shrugged at the question. "Unless they plan on payin' for the gas." He joked with a smirk. "Nah, I'm gonna go pick em' up." He assured.

"Wait!" Soos exclaimed, "I see two shadows coming from outside!" He observed, pointing at the door's window. Wendy and Stan got close to where Soos was and looked at the grass outside. Yes, there was indeed two shadows walking towards the shack.

"Oh, sweet! They're here!" Wendy said with a wide grin.

The three looked over at the door with wide-eyes, only to see that it _wasn't_ the twins. The people at the door had just returned, which would explain why Stan's car was parked in the excuse of a yard.

"Oh," Stan muttered, folding his arms and rolling his eyes. "It's just _you two._"

"_Yes_, yes, we're _boring_." Ford said, adjusting his glasses. "You've made that clear many times." He added.

"We're waiting for the twins." Soos informed. "Have you seen them?"

Ford shook his head in response to the question. "No, I haven't." He said. He turned to look at his brother. "Stanley, do you know what time their bus arrives at the bus stop?" He asked.

"Uh..," Stan muttered. "Yeah, 5:00." He informed.

Fiddleford looked up at the time, "It's only 1:17." He said.

"I had_ no_ idea." Stan said, rolling his eyes.

Suddenly, the people in the gift shop heard a loud man from outside scream, "_WENDY!_"

The teenager jumped at the mentioning of her name. She noticed everyone in the gift shop either looking at the man, or looking at her. She just groaned and face palmed. "Sorry guys, that's my dad." She informed, standing up from the cash registers chair and running a hand through her hair. "I guess I should go see what he needs." She said. With that, she walked out the gift shop door.

She looked around outside and saw her Dad, Manly Dan, standing outside with his arms folded. Wendy recognized the behavior. Whenever her dad's arms were folded, it never meant good news.

"Hey, Dad." Wendy greeted, walking up to her father.

"Where have you been?" Manly Dan questioned. "I told you to skip work today!" He stated, a firm look on his face.

"_What?_" Wendy questioned, tilting her head. "You never-"

"Get in the car." Dan commanded. "_I told you_ to skip work so you could watch your_ brothers_!" He stated, walking over to the front seat of his truck.

Wendy groaned in stupidity. "Oh man, I _totally_ forgot about that!" She said. "Sorry Dad."

Stan looked through the window in the door as he stood in the gift shop. "_Hey,_ what's she leavin' for?" He asked, narrowing his eyes. He opened the front door and shouted, "Hey, _Dan!_ Ya' can't just_ take_ my cashier like that!" He exclaimed, glaring.

Ford cringed at the shouting, "Stan, I don't think it's the best idea to yell towards him." He advised. "He's very-"

"Shut your yaps, pointdexter." Stanley commanded, looking at his brother. "I've had to deal with that guy before." He said, putting his hands on his hips. "He's probably takin' her for some pointless reason anyway. If he's takin her away for the day just cause'a that lame magic festival, I swear he's gonna hear my complaints." He said, adjusting his fez.

"I don't think that would be a good idea-" Ford began, but stopped. He raised an eyebrow and tilted his head. "Wait, did you say_ magic_ festival?" He questioned, a grin appearing on his face.

"Yeah, so?" Stan asked, folding his arms. "Don't tell me you're plannin' on going." He said, rolling his eyes.

"Aw, _snap!_" Fiddleford exclaimed, "That was _today?_" He asked, putting his hands atop his hat in realization.

Stan grunted and narrowed his eyes. "Don't you people read newspapers in the mornin'?" He asked.

"Oh, oh!" Soos blurted out eagerly, raising his hand high up into the air. "I do, Mr. Pines!" He said with a grin.

"Would someone explain what happens at this... magic festival?" Ford asked, putting his hands behind his back.

Stan waved his hand dismissively, shrugging. "Not like it matters. It's all a bunch of lame ol' card tricks and myths." He said.

"Naw, it's more than that!" Soos chimed in. "They've got stories, weird magic crystal balls, and a ton of cool prizes!" He said with a smile.

"See?" Stan said, folding his arms. "Just a bunch of lame fake stuff." He muttered.

"Stanley," Ford began, "You run a 'Mystery shack' gift shop year-round." He reminded with a slight eye roll.

Soos just chuckled at the remark. Stan noticed the chuckle and grunted in distaste.

* * *

"Good morning." Karen greeted Bill as he awoke on the living room couch.

Bills eyes fluttered open slowly, his vision a bit blurry. "G'morn...ing…" He muttered, rubbing his head and groaning slightly.

"You okay?" Karen asked, concerned. "You slept in for a long time." She said, chuckling.

"Yeah." Bill assured, "Just kinda sore after jumping and falling off everything yesterday." He said, laughing. "It was worth it, though." He added with a smirk.

Karen questioned the remark, but just shrugged. "Well, I made coffee if you want some." She offered.

"...Coffee?" Bill questioned hesitantly. "Are you sick or something?"

Karen snickered at the question. "No, silly," She said, "The drink." She informed.

"Oh, right." Bill muttered. _Dam, I'm an idiot. _

"Want some?" Karen asked, grabbing a mug from out of the cupboard.

Bill shrugged at the offer. "I guess."

With that, Karen grabbed the coffee pitcher and poured a cup of coffee for the man, as well as herself. She took a sip of the coffee from her mug before walking over to the couch to bring the other mug to Bill. She handed it over to Bill, which he accepted. He cupped the mug in his hands and brought the warm drink up towards his mouth. He took a large sip the first time, which he quickly realized was a_ huge_ mistake. The hot beverage burned his tongue, and he quickly spit the drink out, breathing heavily.

Karen noticed the reaction and tilted her head. "Woah, are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

Bill didn't respond to the question, instead he ran over to the kitchen and yanked the freezer open, frantically looking for something to put atop his tongue. He saw an ice tray and grabbed hold of it, quickly popping an ice cube into his mouth. The sudden chill was sudden, but certainly welcomed as it began to cool his mouth down.

"Wow," Karen said, chuckling. "No offense, but that's hilarious!" She said, laughing and taking a small sip of her coffee.

Bill shot a glare at the woman and narrowed his eyes. "'Hy dn't yu truy ift yeursulf?" He challenged, folding his arms.

"Oh, no," Karen said, setting down and putting her hands in front of her with a chuckle. "I'm good, thanks." She assured.

Bill smirked and ran a hand through his hair at the woman's reaction. He looked away and hummed, trying to remember a specific time as he walked over to the kitchen sink to spit out the half-melted ice cube in his mouth. He looked over at Karen before speaking. "Hey, do you know when that magic thing starts?" He asked.

"Oh, the magic festival?" Karen questioned. When Bill nodded at the question, she looked up at the clock. Her eyes were quick to widen in alarm. "Oh, _crap!_" She exclaimed. "It started an _hour_ ago!" She informed with a groan, putting a hand on her head.

"Oh," Bill muttered. "Did we miss it?" He asked, trying to keep his cool. _Missing out on this magic festival could screw up my plan. The event better not be over! _

Karen shook her head at the question. "No, we didn't miss it." She assured. Bill let out a sigh of relief, however Karen still had a worried look on her face. "We should probably go now, it ends in a couple hours." She said, walking over to the door.

"Wait," Bill began, "My hair looks like crap."

Karen rolled her eyes and gave a small smile, walking over towards the man, reaching her hand up towards his head. Karen ran her fingers through Bills blond hair a couple times in a gentle manner, making eye contact as she did so. "Better?" She asked, taking a step back.

"Uh, yeah." Bill muttered. "Thanks?"

"Don't mention it." Karen said with a smile as she walked towards the door.

Bill followed the lady to the door as she grabbed her car keys. _Huh... _Bill began to think to himself. _She's definitely into me. I wonder if I can use this opportunity, or have her at my side as my plan persists._ He wondered as the two walked out the door of the apartment.

"I can't believe you've never gone to one of these," Karen began as the two walked towards the elevator. "The magic festival is _awesome_! I've gone every year since I was twelve." She said with a smile.

"It's been around that long?" Bill asked with a joking smirk. Karen rolled her eyes with the smile still apparent on her face and pushed the man away in a playful manner. They reached the elevator, and Karen pressed the button that was on the outside of the machine.

* * *

"Oh, man," Soos groaned, leaning on the gift shop's counter slightly. "It's felt like hours waiting for the time." He said.

"Well," Fiddleford began, shrugging his shoulders. "I was plannin' on goin' to that magic festival. I didn't know it was today, but since it is, ye' could always go there." He advised.

"I don't know, dude," Soos muttered. "Wendy already left on short-notice today. I don't think Mr. Pines will let me go since I'm still on my shift." He said with a small sigh.

Stan walked through the gift shop door with a large cardboard box in his hands. He tilted his head to the side so that he could see what was in front of him. Soos saw his boss hesitantly moving with the box, as if there were something fragile inside. "Do you need any help, dawg?" Soos offered, walking over to the older man.

"I'm not_ that_ old, Soos." Stan reminded, setting the box down in the middle of the gift shop and rolling his eyes.

Fiddleford looked at the box in confusion. "What's in there?" He asked.

"Just some bits and pieces I found layin' around that could be used for attractions." Stan responded with a shrug. "Have any of ya' seen Ford?"

"Not really," Soos began, "Ford said that he was going to check up on some device he had been working on in the basement." He informed.

"Eh," Stan said, shrugging dismissively, "Probably better that way. It's better than him goin' to that dumb festival event goin' on in town-"

Suddenly, Ford walked through the vending machine's door. He stepped into the gift shop and adjusted a setting on his watch to close the vending machines door behind him. He looked up and gave a grin. "Alright, I believe I'm ready." He announced.

Stan raised an eyebrow and folded his arms. "Ready for _what_?" He asked.

"Oh," Ford began, "We decided to take a trip to the magic festival today after all." He informed his brother.

"_We_?" Stan asked, even more confused than he had been in the first place. "Waddya' mean, _we_?"

"Well," Stanford began once more, "Myself, Fiddleford, and Soos." He said, counting off the names with his fingers.

Soos adjusted his hat before speaking. "Oh yeah, I called Melody. She's gonna come with us." He informed.

"The more the merrier!" Fiddleford said with a grin.

Stan narrowed his eyes at the remarks. "Wait, wait," He began, narrowing his eyes as he spoke. "Are all of ya' tellin' me that you planned somethin' without botherin' to tell me about it?" He asked.

The room was silent for a moment, as the three looked at Stanley. All in unison, they said, "...Yes."

Stan just scoffed, rolling his eyes. "Ya' coulda' told me." He muttered, looking away.

Fiddleford tilted his head. "We thought ye' didn't like that magic stuff." He said.

"I don't." Stan clarified. "But that doesn't mean ya' shouldn't tell me what's goin' on around here."

"Sorry, Mr. Pines." Soos apologized.

"When're ya' leavin' anyway?" Stan questioned.

Ford looked up at the clock and shrugged. "It started about an hour ago, so it would be a good idea to head over now." He said.

"Woohoo!" Fiddleford exclaimed. "Road trip!"

"I second your excitment, dude." Soos said with a chuckle.

Stan narrowed his eyes. "Hey, I never said you could leave, Soos. You're still on your work shift." He reminded, folding his arms.

"Oh," Soos muttered, "Yeah. I forgot about that." He said with a small frown.

"Stanley," Ford began with a quick little idea to change his brother's mind. "Weren't you mentioning earlier that you were going to pick up the twins with the car?" He asked.

"So?" Stan questioned, looking at Ford.

"If your handyman doesn't come along to the event, myself and Fiddleford will have to use the car rather than Soos's truck." Ford mused, "Wouldn't you prefer allowing him to skip work for a few hours so that the car will still be avaliable when the time comes for you to retrieve Dipper and Mabel from the bus stop?"

Stan narrowed his eyes at his brother's reasonable statment and let out a heavy huff of annoyance. "Alright, _fine._ But it's comin' outta' your paycheck, _Soos._" He said, pointing at the handyman.

"I'm cool with that, dude." Soos said with a shrug. With that, the three walked out of the gift shop.

Soos looked at Ford as they walked towards the truck and gave a small smile. "Thanks, science dawg." He said as he took the keys to his truck out of his pocket. "You're pretty cool for doing that."

"Well, you seemed rather interested in the event." Ford said with a shrug as he adjusted his glasses. "I figured I could persuade Stan-"

"_My golly!_" Fiddleford exclaimed, stopping in his tracks. Soos and Ford stopped walking and looked at the man who was looking over near some trees in complete fear.

Stanford took hold of his lab coat as if he were to pull out a gun. "What is it?" He asked, looking at Fiddleford.

"It's..." Fiddleford began, speechless.

Soos raised an eyebrow at the hesitance. "You okay, dawg?" He asked.

"I-it's..." McGucket continued hesitantly. "It's no one, I-I mean,_ nothing._" He said, chuckling nervously. "Must be my mind playin' games with'a me." He said.

Soos just shrugged and walked over to the truck, opening the door to the drivers seat. However, Ford took a moment to look at McGucket. "Are you sure it was nothing? You seemed rather surprised. Alarmed, rather." He said in a concerned manner.

"Naw," McGucket claimed, shaking his head. "Jus' saw somethin' rustlin' around in that there bush." He said, pointing towards an average sized bush on the ground. "I'm sure it was nothin'." He assured.

Ford had a skeptical look on his face, however he chose not to point it out. "If you say so." He said, walking over towards Soos's truck. Fiddleford gave a sigh of relief as he followed behind the man.

Stanford took hold of the door to the back seat, opening it and stepping inside. He opted to take the window seat on the left. He looked over at the open door as McGucket climbed inside as well, sitting across from Ford and shutting the car door before buckling his seatbelt.

"You dudes okay?" Soos asked, looking behind him. The others both gave a nod of confirmation. After seeing the motion, Soos turned the car on.

"Thank you for volunteering to drive, Soos." Ford said as he buckled his seatbelt.

"No problem, dawg!" Soos said with a grin as he pulled out of the section of the driveway he had parked at. In just a couple of minutes, they were on the road towards the magic festival.

* * *

"Wow," Bill said as he looked around at all the stands and tents outside. "This place is pretty big for a one-day thing." He commented.

"Yeah, the people who run this really like to go all-out." Karen said with a smile. "You're gonna love it!"

The festival outside was, indeed, quite large. It had a similar look to the carnival event Stanley had hosted last summer from the photos Mabel had once shown Bill from her scrapbook. There were little kids chasing each other and teenagers being dared to do mindless tricks at the stands. Not to mention the area smelled of tacos and sugary snacks. Bill looked to the right of him and cringed at the sight of Toby Determined doing a strange dance on a wooden stage with a sign reading 'Razz Dazzler". The man was dancing with his black tap shoes and tacky red suit.

"Well, since it's your first time," Karen began, "What do you want to do first?" She asked, looking over at Bill.

Bill just shrugged. "Something to do with magical elements." He commented.

Karen chuckled at the statement. "It's a magic festival, silly! It's _all_ magic!" She said, putting her arms out and spinning around.

Bill snickered and folded his arms. "You sure about that?" He questioned.

"Well..." Karen muttered. "Yeah, besides the food stands." She said.

"Really?" Bill mused, looking over at Toby Determined. "Because I don't think there's anything magical about... whatever _that_ is." He pointed out.

Karen laughed and gave a smile. "Alright, I guess you've got a point there." She admitted with a chuckle, taking Bill's hand and holding it in a loving manner. Bill looked down at their hands that were now locked together. He looked up at Karen who was looking away with a small smile. Bill questioned the action, but didn't bother pulling their hands apart.

"Oh my _gosh_!" Karen cooed with a gasp. "It's the magic crystal ball!"

"The what?" Bill questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"The magic crystal ball!" Karen repeated. "Every two years this lady comes to the festival and tells you what will happen in your future!" She said with a grin.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the information. "Does it _work_?" He asked.

"Of course it does!" Karen said with a smile. "As long as you believe!"

Bill rolled his eyes at the comment. _Believe? Please. _He thought to himself. _I wonder if there's anything here that's actually gonna help me. _Even though Bill was convinced the whole crystal ball act was bogus, he opted to join Karen in visiting the tent anyway. Who knows what could potentially occur?

Karen and Bill walked over to the blue tent in a cone shape, which Bill assumed to the magic ball tent. The tent had no line with people waiting, so when the two stepped into the tent it was made clear to Bill that this _was_ the tent with the magic crystal ball Karen had informed him about. The tent was a decent size; It wasn't huge, however it wasn't too incredibly small either.

There was a small square wooden table in the middle of the tent with a small elderly woman with slightly tinted green skin and long white hair sitting atop a chair that seemed to be made up of hands. The chair looked more like a throne, really, but Karen was convinced it was just part of the tents decoration. Bill saw the ancient woman as more of a hand witch.

"Why..._ hello_ there." The witch said, looking at Bill and questioning the specific shape of his pupils. Bill noticed the action immediately narrowed his eyes, taking his hand away from Karen's hold and folding his arms. However Karen gave a more legitimate smile to the elderly woman.

"Hey!" Karen greeted with a grin. "It's good to see you again!"

The witch tilted her head. "Eh..," She muttered, looking at Karen. "_Who_ are you again, please?"

Karen gave an inaudible huff and she gave a small frown. "Never mind." She muttered.

Bill snickered and smirked at the elderly woman. "Hey lady, ya' missed Summerween. What are you, some sort of hand witch?" He asked, laughing at his own joke.

The witch narrowed her eyes once more. "Are you a nail technician?" She asked, holding her long, boney fingers out for the man to see. "Because I could use a good manicure." She said, pointing out her chipped nails that were naturally tinted yellow.

Bill cringed at the nails and shielded his eyes away from the sight. "No," He began, shaking his head, "But if I were, i'd be getting you some_ instant_ help." He commented with a sneer.

Karen ignored the terribly disturbing conversation and took a step forwards towards the table. The hand witch smirked and looked at Karen. "So, you wish to see your future, do you now?" She mused.

"Yes!" Karen said excitedly, her eyes wide.

The hand witch nodded and asked for a ticket. Karen was quick to give two tickets to the witch. The witch raised an eyebrow at the giving of two tickets rather than one, and Karen motioned over to Bill, showing that the other was for him. The hand witch understood with a nod of her head, and sat up straight in herarm chair- _literally_.

"Put your hands out." The hand witch commanded. Karen did as told and put her hands out onto the table; one on either side of the crystal ball. The hand witch looked down at the hands, admiring them. "Yes, yes." She muttered. The witch waved her hands around the crystal ball, a light blue light suddenly illuminating from the ball. Karen smiled at the magic, however Bill was the least bit convinced.

The hand witch took a large, creepy inhale with a smirk on her face as she closed her eyes. "_You._.." She muttered. "I see a _good future_ on your behalf; as long as the people_ most important_ in your life make the right choices. If not, I sense great _danger._" She stated bluntly, opening her eyes back up as the crystal ball stopped glowing.

"Huh..." Karen muttered. "My messages are normally a bit more positive." She commented.

"Cause and effect is a powerful thing." The hand witch stated. "The exit is right behind you. Next, please." She requested, motioning for the demon to take a turn. Bill took a step closer and sat down in the wooden chair, but Karen raised an eyebrow.

"Can't I stay in he-" Karen began to ask, but stopped when the elderly woman began to act in a way she would have_ never_ expected.

The hand witch clenched her fists and gave a cold glare at the woman, her voice getting_ incredibly_ deep as she yelled, "_GET. OUT._"

Karen felt a wave of fear wash over her, and she scrambled out of the tent as quickly as possible. Bill watched her leave, then turned to look at the hand witch as she sat back down in her chair made of hands. "What's the point in doing that?" Bill questioned.

"You..." The hand witch muttered, shaking her head. "There's something about you that I sense. Something I wouldn't want her young self hearing about." She said.

Bill scoffed in an offended manner. "Are you saying I don't look young?" He asked, folding his arms.

"You may appear younger," The witch began, "But I can sense the truth just by looking at you." She informed. "There is no room for lies here."

"What's that supposed to mean? _You're_ the old_ hag_ in the room." Bill stated bluntly, folding his arms. "Er…_ tent._" He corrected.

"Bill Cipher." The hand witch addressed, narrowing her eyes and leaning back in her chair.

Bill tilted his head at the mentioning of his name. "How do you know my name?" He asked in an impatient manner. The hand witch was hesitant to respond, which Bill rolled his eyes to. "Well, spit it out,_ lady!_" He commanded with a glare.

"And if I don't?" The hand witch dared to ask. "If I remember correctly_, you_ underestimated my power before you even bothered to stop by." She reminded.

"Y-You're assuming things." Bill blurted out, however he wasn't quite sure himself. The witch just hummed in response with a mocking smirk. Bill growled and stood up, slamming his fists on the wooden table. "Alright lady, I_ need_ some answers!" He exclaimed, loud enough that the people nearby could surely hear him.

"Quiet down, you're only making a fool out of yourself." The witch stated, folding her arms.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the comment, leaning across the small square table. "You have my ticket,_ don't you?_" He reminded. "If _I_ recall correctly, it's your_ job_ to give me some answers."

"Ah, not exactly." The hand witch began, holding her hand up in front of her. "My job is to tell you your _future_. Any other information I don't share for the well-being of the people who stop by." She stated. "However," She continued in a hesitant manner. "Your kind isn't considered 'people', so there_ may_ be some slight arrangements that could be done. _If_ you would have any interest in making a_ deal_." She mused.

Bill took a step back at the mentioning of a deal. _This old hag has the guts to even bring up a deal with someone like myself? She's lost her marbles! _As surprised as he was, maybe this witch could be of use to him. "What kind of deal?" Bill questioned, putting his hands on his hips.

"I will tell you certain information you so desire, maybe even a pinch of _power,_ and in return a curse will be given to someone you know." The hand witch offered.

"Who?" Bill asked. The hand witch only shrugged in response, which gave him a feeling of rage. "What kind of curse?" He asked. The hand witch shrugged once more. Bill glared at the excuse of a response, (If you could even _call_ it that), but he opted to keep his anger to himself; Bill didn't want the deal offer to be taken away from him if it was something that would benefit him and his plan.

"That's for you to find out," The hand witch said with a shrug. "For _your_ benefit, I'm willing to show some generosity since I'm choosing to stay reticent. I will allow you to say the name of _one_ human who will have a safety guarantee from this curse. Whoever's name you say will_ not_ be effected by the curse, they will be safe." She said. "You_ could_ save yourself if you'd like," She informed. "However, _you count_ as the one person who would be saved from the curse."

Bill hummed for a moment, folding his arms once more and looking away. _One name... _He thought to himself. _One name... _"Hey," Bill began, narrowing his eyes and looking down at the witch. "What's in it for _you?_" He asked.

The hand witch shrugged at the question. "Drama." She responded.

_"Drama?_" Bill repeated, narrowing his eyes. "_Seriously?_"

"Never question a woman's interests," The hand witch advised. "Who doesn't like a good drama anyway? Soap opera never hurts."

"_Soap ope_-" Bill began, but stopped himself. He just shook his head, deciding not to comment. "Let me get this straight," He began. "If I take this weird deal of yours, _I_ get the information and power I want, and in return _you_ curse someone?" He asked, making sure he understood the deal he was considering.

"Yep!" The hand witch said with a grin. "It's been quite some time since I've cursed someone, and I've always needed an excuse to do it." She added in more of a mutter. "Is it a deal?" The hand witch asked, extending her arm out.

"Hold on, lady." Bill said, putting his hands on his hips. "I didn't give the name of the human I want to keep from this curse thing-y."

"Then proceed." The hand witch said, folding her arms, waiting for the name. She looked at Bill, who looked like he was pondering serious thought. She waited a moment, however the silence was getting awkward. She cleared her throat, eventually saying, "I'm waiting."

Bill shot a glare at the woman. "Hold _on!"_ He said, looking away once more. Bill sighed and looked at the ground. _This deal is pretty easy, right? I'll just save myself! Who needs all the fleshbags in the world anyway? As long as I'm still alive, I could care less what happens to the idiots around me!_

Unfortunately for Bill, he was only telling himself_ lies._ As much as he refused to admit it to himself, he had grown to care about certain people a _bit_ more than he had back when he was a dream demon. He wanted to kick himself for being a human. He was already cursed with being a fleshbag, what harm could _one more_ curse do to him? Wasting the save on himself would be pointless.

_I could save Karen._ Bill thought to himself. _She's the person I'm living with, anyway. No Karen, no apartment. _

_But then again... _Bill continued to think. _I don't know much about her. I wonder if there's a human I know better... _He ran a hand through his hair, and an idea popped into his head. _I could save Shooting Star. She's not a part of this, and she's a better person to me than Pine tree. _

That's when Bill remembered; He wouldn't see the twins anymore. No more Mabel. And even though he could care less about Dipper, the hand witch probably wasn't aware of their existence. Bill scoffed to himself, shaking his head. _I'm being ridiculous..._ He thought to himself. Bill already_ knew_ who he wanted to save.

But... would it be_ worth it_?

Bill sighed and looked at the hand witch, a confident look in his eyes as he took a step closer to the hand witch. "Stanford Pines." He answered with a nod of his head.

"You wish for me to_ curse_ Stanford Pines?" The hand witch asked eagerly with a grin. "_Will do-!_"

_"No!_" Bill exclaimed with a faint glare. "_Save_ him." He commanded.

The witch laughed at the fearful response given by the demon. "I'm just messing with you." She said, laughing in a mocking manner. "I will _save_ Stanford Pines from the curse." She promised with a confirming nod, holding her hand out once more.

Bill got on one knee to match the hand witch's height, putting a blue flame around his hand for show before grabbing hold of the woman's hand to shake it. The hand witch smiled at this and sat back atop her hand throne. "I suppose I should give my part of the deal." She said, motioning for Bill to sit down in the wooden chair across the table. He did as told and looked over at the witch.

"What's your first question?" The hand witch asked Bill.

Bill smirked and shrugged innocently. "How do I give an amulet specific abilities?"

* * *

"Woohoo!" Fiddleford exclaimed when Soos parked his truck in the parking lot of the magic festival. He was eager to unbuckle his seatbelt and jump out of the car. "The two of ye' are gonna love this!" He said, putting his hands on his hips and grinning from ear to ear as the other three got out of the vehicle. "There's a lotta' stuff ye' gotta see!"

Ford gave a small smile at his friend's eagerness and chuckled. "I see you've had some experience attending this event in the past." He said, putting his hands in his lab coat pockets.

"You betcha' I have!" McGucket said with a grin.

Soos turned his truck off after Melody got out, and he shut the vehicle's front door before walking towards the others. Melody looked around the festival and smiled. "Wow, this event is pretty big for a one-day thing!" She commented, running a hand through her hair.

Soos nodded in response. "I've been to this a few times, they've got some pretty cool stuff here." He agreed with a smile, taking Melody's hand in his as the four walked.

Ford looked down at the special watch he had invented in the past for himself, adjusting a setting. Fiddleford noticed the action and raised an eyebrow. "Watcha' doin'?" He asked out of curiosity. Not exactly because _he_ wanted to know, however.

"Oh, nothing much." Ford answered, letting his hands go back into his coat pockets. "I had pushed a button on my watch and the vending machine door opened. I just had to make sure it was properly closed before getting distracted." He informed.

"Oh, dudes!" Soos began with a gasp, pointing over at a man on a stage performing magic tricks. "It's a magician!" He exclaimed.

Melody smiled and looked up at her boyfriend. "A magician at a magic festival? Who would have thought?" She asked in a sarcastic manner, giving a small chuckle. Soos laughed along and rolled his eyes at his girlfriends sarcasm.

Fiddleford looked around and hummed in thought. "There'r quite a lotta' couples here this year." He observed. "Normer'lly it's just'a ton'a teenagers scurryin' 'round." He said.

Soos just shrugged at the remark. "The festival grows every year." He informed.

"Hey!" Fiddleford exclaimed quickly as the group stopped in their tracks. He pointed over at a blue tent where a woman with long brown hair and a man will short blonde hair were walking away. He squinted his eyes in confusion as he continued to point. "Is that Cipher?" He questioned.

"Who?" Melody asked.

"Where?" Soos and Stanford asked in unison. The two awkwardly glanced at each other for a moment before looking back over by the tent.

"There!" McGucket said, pointing over by the tent once more. Ford looked around at the people passing by in the distance, eventually noticing the familiar man. Soos seemed to have noticed Bill there as well before speaking.

"Oh, I see him now!" Soos informed with a smile, before replacing his facial expression with a confused glance. "He's with some random lady..." He muttered, looking a bit closer at the woman. "Wait a minute!" He exclaimed once more. "He's here with that lady from the donut shop!"

Melody tilted her head at the mentioning of the woman. "Karen?" She questioned.

"Yup." Soos said. He gave a small smile at the sight of the woman snuggling the man's arm as they walked. "Aw, those dudes look cute together!" He cooed with a grin. While the others may have thought it was nice to see the man together with Karen, Ford had a look of hurt on his face. He just wasn't sure _how_ Bill could have found someone so easily. Bill had only been gone from the shack for a couple of weeks and he had _already_ found a girlfriend.

"You kiddin'?" A voice asked behind them. The four turned around to see Stanley walking towards them. He rolled his eyes and scoffed. "Please, they look like a couple'a clingy one night standers." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Mr. Pines, what are you doing here?" Soos asked with a small smile. "I thought you hated the magic festival!"

"I do," Stan stated bluntly, "But sittin' around the house was gettin' boring." He stated, "The twins won't get here for a few more hours, so I've got some time to spare on whatever random crap happens around at this festival." Stan said with a shrug. He looked over at his brother and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, what's with the glum look, pointdexter?" He asked.

"What?" Ford blurted out, looking at his brother. "I spaced out for a moment, what were you asking?" He asked.

"I'll say," Stan said. "Ya' look like you were lost in thought." He observed, narrowing his eyes.

Ford adjusted his glasses and gave a shrug. "When am I not?" He asked with a false chuckle.

"I can't argue with that." Stan said as the group began to walk once more. He walked ahead of the group and walked towards a snack bar. "I'm gonna go get a bite to eat." He announced before walking away. The group, however, decided to follow behind him.

Soos looked at the selection when they reached the snack stand. "Hmm..." He muttered, narrowing his eyes at the choices and pondering the thought of what he wanted to buy. "Who would have thought they would have Chipackerz here?" He asked aloud, mainly to himself.

"I don't know, but they sound good." Melody said with a smile.

Stan nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I bet I could shoplift a couple of those mini packages." He said, a smirk on his face.

Ford just rolled his eyes at his brother's behavior. "That _really_ isn't necessary, Stanley." He stated, putting his hands behind his back.

Stan put his hands on his hips, looking at Ford dismissively. "Pfft, It's better than spendin' two bucks on, like, _ten_ crackers." He pointed out. "Seriously, how do people make so much money sellin' these rip-offs?"

Stanford ignored his brothers last comment and sighed. "_Paying_ is better than adding one more crime to_ my_ criminal record." He said, shaking his head.

The group must have forgotten that there was a person running the stand. The worker looked at the group in suspicion as he held a walkie-talkie up by his face. He looked as if he was about to call security on the group. Before the man could alert the security of the event, Stan shot him a warning glare. "Hey, kid," Stan began in a firm manner, "We're just jokin' around. This is comedy gold you're witnessin' here." He said, pointing at the worker.

_"We?"_ The rest of the group asked in unison. Stan turned his head behind him to look at the group and narrowed his eyes.

Ford sighed and pointed ahead of them. "...Perhaps we should move on." He advised in a hesitant manner.

"Wait," Stan began, "Hold this." He commanded, placing a small object in Ford's hand. Stanford looked down at what had been placed in his hand, seeing a small pile of Stan bucks. He raised an eyebrow in complete confusion at the pointless and useless money revenue, however he decided not to question the strange things Stan would carry around at the strangest times.

It took a moment, but the group had decided what they had wanted. Melody had ordered a cookie, while Soos chose a lollipop. Stan chose a bag of toffee peanuts, Fiddleford ordered a blueberry muffin, and Ford requested a bag of jellybeans. He hadn't had jellybeans in quite a while, so he figured it would be nice to try them again.

Stan took back his Stan bucks and put them on the counter. "Keep the change." He said to the worker.

The employee narrowed his eyes at the false money and looked up at the old man in annoyance. "Sir, I'm going to need you to pay in _real_ cash." He said, folding his arms.

Stan rolled his eyes and put the Stan bucks in his pocket. "Young people these days, so picky." He said, scoffing. He looked behind him and saw a young boy walking past the group, an ice-cream cone in hand. Stan extended his arms out and grabbed the child's shoulders, picking the boy up off the ground and shaking him madly. The boy exclaimed in both fear and annoyance as dollar bills and spare change the child had been carrying around fell to the ground. Stan set the child back down and grabbed the cash before the kid could take it back.

Stan counted the money as the kid whimpered. The child was quick to run away, crying for his mother.

Ford gave an unamused look at his brother. "Stanley, you're absolutely _terrible_." He stated, shaking his head in a disapproving manner. While the others used the cash Stan had 'scored', Ford paid for his with his own money. He didn't want to have a reputation of a thief on in this dimension.

When the group had gotten their snacks, Stanford took a moment to apologize to the worker for his brother's_ atrocious_ behavior.

"Hold this." Stan commanded again to his brother, handing him his bag of toffee peanuts. Ford looked at the snack and scoffed to himself. He knew that everyone had different opinions, but he just didn't understand _why_ his brother loved toffee peanuts so much.

"Hey, look at that!" Soos said, looking in the large crowd passing by in all directions. "Looks like Bill and Karen really _are_ a thing now." He said, pointing towards the couple from a distance at the sight of the two kissing.

The group looked over and did, indeed, see the couple kissing from a distance. Stan narrowed his eyes but laughed. "Wo-ho! Looks like Cipher's gonna be busy." He joked with a smirk.

Soos thought it was nice that Bill seemed happy now, and even though Stan thought Bill having a girlfriend was_ impossible_, he never took the chance of making a joke out of it for granted. Fiddleford, however, knew that Ford certainly had a different feeling about the situation entirely. He looked over at Stanford, who had a look of hurt on his face once more, the bag of toffee peanuts falling out of his hands as he witnessed the exchange of emotion.

"Well," Stan began, turning around to grab his snack back from his brother. "Guess we should see whatever this crappy festival has to offer." He said, looking at Ford's empty hand. Stanley narrowed his eyes and looked at Ford, who had his mouth slightly open as he looked forward in disbelief. "Hey, pointdexter!" Stan exclaimed, trying to get his brother's attention. His effort seemed to be of no use. "You dropped my bag of toffee peanuts, ya' klutz." He scolded, folding his arms.

Ford was still looking forward before speaking. "...There was a... fly on it." He muttered in a dazed manner. He could hardly bare to have seen something such as that, however he chose not to speak his mind about the situation.

Stan just rolled his eyes and bent down to grab the bag from off the ground. Soos looked over at Ford and tilted his head in concern. "Ford, are you okay?" He asked.

"What?" Ford blurted out after spacing out again. He looked at Soos and gave a quick reassuring nod. "Oh, yes. I'm okay." He lied with a small smile.

Soos was more gullible than Stan was, so he believed the statement. "Okay, dude." He said with a simple shrug.

Fiddleford sighed, not being fooled by the obvious lie, and gave his friend a sympathetic pat on the back.

Stanley just groaned in annoyance. "What're we doin' just standin' around?" He asked rather impatiently. "I'm gettin' bored with all this pointless dialog."

"You're right," Soos agreed. "We should go see some magic tricks!" He said with a smile.

"Nah, I'm out." Stan said, putting a hand up in denial. "I should probably get back to the shack."

"What?" Soos asked, tilting his head. "But you've only been here for, like, ten minutes!" He pointed out.

"That's long enough." Stan said, taking a step back. "Besides, I should probably leave before someone calls security on me." He added. With that, Stan headed back to the car to go back to the shack. The group opted to walk around the festival, visiting a variety of stands and events.

While it seemed as though the group was enjoying themselves, Stanford was still a bit glum. He_ knew_ that he shouldn't be upset about the whole situation. He _knew_ that he should be happy for Bill, and glad that he had found someone who made him happy. He _knew_ that his feeling of jealousy was completely out of place. However, he just didn't understand why and how he could have lost the man so easily.

_Was it something I did? Something I had said?_ Ford asked himself. He wasn't sure, but he assumed it wasn't something he should bother to question at this point.

* * *

A few hours later, Dipper and Mabel were eagerly looking out the window on the bus that was taking them to Gravity Falls. They were glad that the bus ride was finally coming to a close. The twins were excited to see all the friends they had made in the summer again.

"I can't _wait_ to see our Grunkles again!" Mabel said to her brother, grinning from ear to ear.

"And Wendy!" Dipper chimed in with a smile.

"And Soos!" Mabel said, still smiling. She then gasped, her eyes widened. "Ooh, I wonder if Melody and Soos had their kid yet!" She wondered.

"I don't know, but I really want to show Ford my journal." Dipper said, grabbing hold of his backpack and taking out his pink journal.

He had brought a blue Pine tree journal back to California at first, until his mother donated it after believing it to be a_ fictional_ book by some anonymous local author. So, he ended up using the pink journal Mabel had given him. He hadn't found any anomalies in California, other than a cat barking like a dog to its owner. Instead, his journal had been used to write about his time in the summer; and some of the events that had occurred that he hadn't already published into Ford's journal.

"Ooh, and Bill!" Mabel added quickly with a smile, causing Dipper to stop thinking and look at his sister.

Dipper looked at Mabel and raised an eyebrow, rolling his eyes. "_Bill? Seriously,_ Mabel?" He asked in a half-annoyed tone.

"Whaaat?" Mabel asked, her smile fading slightly, "He's not so bad, Dipper. Maybe you should try bonding with him!" She suggested with a shrug.

Dipper just scoffed, shaking his head. "Not a chance." He muttered coldly.

Mabel just rolled her eyes, nudging her brother in the shoulder. "Aw, come on, Dip-dop! I'm sure you two are gonna get along fine!" She said with another smile.

The twins sat in silence for a moment, until the bus driver at the front of the bus grabbed the vehicles built-in microphone, pressing the button and saying, "Next stop, Gravity Falls, Oregon."

Dipper and Mabel looked at each other and smiled at the news. Mabel threw her fist up into the air and yelled, "_Yes!_"

The female twins sudden outburst got the attention of a few people on the bus, who turned their heads backwards to look at the twins. Mabel and Dipper both noticed the eyes on them, and while Mabel didn't really mind it, Dipper was rather embarrassed. He chuckled awkwardly, giving a small wave. "Uh... Sorry..!" He said, looking out the window to avoid eye contact with the passengers in front of him.

Before they knew it, the bus stopped at the bus stop they had both arrived and left at in the summer. The twins gathered up their individual backpacks, along with the extra half-filled bag their mother _insisted_ on them bringing along. They stood up from the back seat they had sat in, and walked across the isle towards the door of the bus. When the bus driver opened the door, Mabel jumped off the bus steps. Dipper, however, just walked.

The two had hardly sat on the bench by the bus stop for two minutes when Stanley showed up with the car to pick them up. The twins were ecstatic to see their uncle, and they rushed to the car in a hurry. However, before they could get to the car, Stan unbuckled the seatbelt he had bothered to put on and opened the car door, rushing out and getting on one knee as he wrapped his arms around the twins in an immense hug.

Mabel and Dipper both accepted the hug and Mabel grinned from ear to ear. "We missed you so much, Grunkle Stan!" She said, messing with the stings on his fez hat.

Stan's heart melted at the words; no one had ever told him something such as that. Sure, people had given him a decent greeting, but he certainly _wasn't_ used to people actually_ missing_ his presence. He gave Mabel a small rub on the back with a smile on his face. "I missed you too, pumpkin." He said. Stan then looked at Dipper and ruffled the top of his head. "I missed you too, ya' knucklehead." He said, laughing.

Mabel looked up at Stan, raising an eyebrow. "Is Grunkle Ford here, too?" She asked.

Stan shook his head at the question. "Nah, not yet." He answered, "He's at this lame magic festival goin' on in town. They'll be back soon."

"They?" Dipper asked. "As in, more than one?" He questioned.

"Yup." Stan said, nodding his head.

"Who else is with Grunkle Ford?" Mabel asked.

Stan looked sideways at the sunset as he thought about the people who had been there. "Uh..." Stan began. "Himself, Fiddlesticks, Soos, and Melody." He answered with a confirming nod of his head. "Now, what're we doin' just standin' around? Let's head back to the shack, eh?" He asked with a grin.

"Yeah!" Mabel said, immediately running towards the car and yelling, "_Shotgun!_"

Dipper groaned at the fact of him having to sit in the back seat, however he didn't want to complain about it. Stan and Dipper both walked over to the car and stepped inside.

"Hey..," Mabel began, looking around the inside of the car. "It looks a little different in here." She observed, narrowing her eyes. She immediately smiled and looked up at Stan. "Ooh, is this a new car?" She asked, grinning.

"You bet it is," Stan says. "I mean, it doesn't really look like it from the outside, though." He admitted, snickering. "Aw man, that story of how the car got all mangled up'll be a fun one to tell later." He said, putting the car in reverse and getting on the road.

* * *

"Do you know if the twins'll be at the shack, Stanford?" Fiddleford asked as the group headed back to Soos's truck after the magic festival had ended.

Ford nodded at the question. "Not yet, unless the bus arrived early, of course. No, I'm sure the twins will arrive after we've gotten back to the shack. I would assume... five minutes after we get back?" He approximated after looking at the time in Soos's car.

The group piled into the truck; Soos and Melody in front, Fiddleford and Stanford in back.

"Are you okay, Melody?" Soos asked as he turned the car on.

Soos's girlfriend nodded at the concerned question. "Yeah, I'm good!" She assured with a smile. "Your boss's brother is actually pretty cool." She added in more of a whispered tone.

"Yeah," Soos agreed with a nod of his head. "He's a pretty awesome dude." He said as he backed out of the parking spot he had selected. In a matter of minutes, the truck was on the road, headed towards the Mystery Shack. During the ride back, McGucket had suggested karaoke, which the other passengers kindly (Yet quickly) declined.

The rest of the ride back to the shack was rather quiet, save the new song by _Lil Big Dawg_ playing on the radio. When the group got back to the house, they were quick to look around the excuse of a parking lot in case the others had gotten back before them. However, just as Ford had predicted, they were yet to come home. Soos parked the truck in an appropriate spot before the four piled out of the car.

Ford wasn't exactly sure how to deal with company his brother Stan was used to, so once they had gotten into the shack and headed into the living room, he had told the group they were welcome to watch television or grab a snack from the kitchen if they others thanked the man and decided on a Tv program to watch as Ford left to head downstairs for a bit.

Stanford walked through the 'Employees only' door and turned to face the vending machine. He inputted the code on the machine and headed to the laboratory alone. He hadn't seen the amulet around Bill's neck when he had seen the man at the festival, so Ford began to think twice on Bill taking it. Maybe he hadn't looked for the necklace well enough? Though he was confident Bill had taken it and opted not to wear it, he decided to give looking another shot.

He looked everywhere; Every desk drawer, every box, every cabinet. He even checked the portal room and the makeshift bedroom, however he had no luck in finding the necklace. At that point, Ford knew that he was being ridiculous. Just because Bill hadn't been wearing the amulet to the festival, that didn't mean that the necklace wasn't in his possession. Maybe the man had figured Stanford would be at the festival, so he chose to leave the amulet wherever he was living.

_Probably with that woman._ Ford thought to himself. He quickly shook the thought out of his head, he really didn't need to be thinking of that topic right now, let alone at_ all_. It was none of his business, anyway. Bill had clearly moved on.

Now Stanford had to do the same.

Meanwhile, in the living room, Soos heard a knock at the front door. His eyes widened at the sound as he scrambled for the Tv remote, turning down the volume. Fiddleford and Melody questioned the action, until Soos exclaimed. "_They're here!_"

Melody smiled and Fiddleford exclaimed in happiness, running to the door beside Soos. The handyman reached for the doorknob, however the door flung open right before he could open the door. Soos's wrist got hit by the doors sudden force, and he rubbed his wrist with his other hand to calm the stinging.

Fiddleford looked at who had opened the door, and sure enough, it was the twins and Stanley. "Hey there!" Fiddleford greeted with a smile, tipping his hat slightly, making sure to keep it on his head; he didn't want to go through another unexpected meeting with Mr. Powers.

"Hey, McGucket!" Dipper said with a smile. Mabel greeted the man and looked to the left, seeing Soos as he rubbed his wrist.

"Soos!" Mabel exclaimed, running up to the handyman. Soos looked at the girl and smiled, getting down on one knee and embracing the hug the girl had instantly welcomed.

"What's up, girl dawg?" Soos asked with a chuckle.

Dipper looked around, and saw no sign of his other uncle. "Where's great uncle Ford?" He asked in a concerned manner.

"Hold your horses, kid." Stan scolded, rolling his eyes. "He's probably just down in the basement doing nerd stuff." He said with a shrug.

Mabel gasped and looked in the living room, seeing Soos's girlfriend walking towards the door. "Oh my_ gosh!_" She cooed with a grin, walking over to her to greet the woman. "Hi, Melody!"

"Oh! Uh, hello!" Melody said with a smile, waving at the girl. "How was the trip?" She asked.

"It was good!" Mabel responded. "Dip-dop here was writing half the time, so I used the opportunity to get my scrapbook ready!" She said with a smile.

Soos stood back up and chuckled. Meanwhile, Stan shut the front door and looked into the living room to see his brother looking down at his watch with a screwdriver in hand as he walked towards the others. "Hey, pointdexter." He greeted.

"Hello, Stanley." Ford said, still using the screwdriver on the watch. "How was the-"

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel exclaimed, running up to the man and jumping up, wrapping her arms around his neck as she hugged him. Ford flinched at the sudden motion, however he didn't intend to end it. He chuckled and gave Mabel a pat on the back as he looked at Dipper. "Dipper, my boy. How have you been?" He asked.

"I've been good, I have so much to show you!" Dipper responded, showing his journal to his uncle.

Ford set Mabel back down and nodded slowly. "There will be time for that shortly." He assured with a small smile. He then looked down at Mabel. "But right now, I have something I would like to discuss with you, Mabel." He said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Wha-?" Dipper questioned, however Mabel grinned brightly, practically squealing.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Mabel said, smiling up at Ford. "Are we making sweaters?" She asked.

Ford chuckled at the question, and shook his head. "Not right now, my dear." He said, adjusting his glasses. "Maybe a bit later. This conversation is quite important, there isn't much room for hesitation." He said with a nod of his head.

"Do you need me?" Dipper asked hopefully.

Ford opened his mouth to speak, but closed it. He responded hesitantly, hoping to not offend the boy. "Oh, um... not just yet, Dipper. I can assure you, we will speak a bit later." He said.

"Oh," Dipper said, nodding. "O-okay."

"Come now, Mabel." Ford beckoned, walking towards the living room. Mabel and Fiddleford followed behind the man as he put the screwdriver in his lab coat pocket.

**There's chapter 33! I hope you enjoyed this, I know it's been more than a week, however this chapter is over 11,000 words, so I hope that makes up for the wait. I know, it's very long, but there was a lot I needed to put into this chapter. I originally wanted to get it out about four days ago, unfortunately the process has been unusually slow. I know where this plot is going, however it's the bit about adding enough dialog and words in-between the events that occur in chapters that makes the process take a bit more time. **

**New chapter should be up next week! **


	32. Makeover

**SO sorry for the longer wait on this chapter! I think it's been about two weeks since the last update? Yikes. Well, I just had my last basketball game today, so our season is basically over. However, track sign ups are happening ALREADY since our basketball season started late. Soo... I guess there's not much of a break between the sport activities, but that's fine! :3**

**Yes, I know the name of this chapter makes this seem boring, but s****ome_ really_ bad stuff is about to heat up. On Fiddleford's part, at least. **

**Okay, okay, _please_ tell me I'm not the _only one_ who absolutely HATES Karen! She just- I just- _ARRRRGHH!_ ****Did I mention how much I hate Karen? No? Eh, I'll save my ranting. (I'm pretty sure there _isn't,_ but if someone reading this fic _happens_ to be named Karen, no offense! ILY :3)**

**Just a quick reminder:_ Joe_ is the man who kinda looks like Agent Trigger, but with a moustache. Fred is the black haired guy who has a hair style like Tad Strange. (Fred also has a little crush on Joe, even though Fred was_ fired_ in earlier chapters. Now, it's just Joe and Mr. Powers.) **

**The outfit that Fiddleford gets during the makeover in this chapter is based off a pin I saw on Pinterest. I'm assuming it was meant to be a Fiddauthor type pin, hence the drawing of Ford blushing at the end, however that's not the case in this chapter. I know things seem crazy in this fanfic right now, but don't worry! This is _still_ a Billford fanfic. (I have a _lot_ planned for this fic and for the future chapters. And when I say a lot, I mean... a_ lot._)**

**Here is chapter 35 of "Welcome Home"!**

Stanford, Mabel, and Fiddleford all made their way down to the laboratory, where Mabel ended up jumping atop the spinny-chair before looking up at her uncle. "Grunkle Ford?" She began.

"Yes?" Said uncle answered, looking at the girl.

"Is... something_ bad_ happening?" Mabel asked in a worried manner. "I mean, you hardly _ever_ let me or anyone else come down here. Not even Dipper!" She stated.

Ford just shook his head at the concern given. "I... don't_ believe_ so." He responded in a hesitant. However, he couldn't _promise_ that to his niece.

"That's... _not_ reassuring." Mabel muttered, looking away. She looked back at Ford and tilted her head. "So, what's the point of coming down to the basement to talk instead of just staying upstairs?" She asked.

"Well…" Ford muttered, looking away in thought. Now that he thought about it, the request of going down to the lab really _hadn't_ been necessary. He looked back at Mabel and shrugged like an idiot. "I'm not exactly sure, now that I think about it..." He admitted in an embarrassed mutter. _Oh well, there's not much that can be done about it now. _

Ford took out a pen from his lab coat and jotted a few notes down on a note pad. Mabel noticed the action and chuckled in an awkwardly confused manner. "Uh... you're really starting to creep me out here, Grunkle Ford. Will you just tell me what's going on?" She asked, folding her arms and sitting crisscross on the chair.

"Sorry, Sorry." Ford apologized, putting the pen and paper back in his lab coat. "An idea sprung to mind, and my first instinct was to write it down." He said, putting his hands behind his back. "I had a few questions I had been planning on asking you." He finally began, his voice in a serious and firm manner now.

"_Razzle-Dazzle!_" Mabel exclaimed gleefully with a large smile. "I'm a _master_ of answering questions! Like how many chicken nuggets I can eat without passing out, how much glitter Waddles can intake without sneezing, and how much Dipper sweats when he's around girls!" She said with a wide grin, rather proud of her facts she had gathered in the past.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the strange answers, however he chose not to question. It _was_ Mabel, after all. And she didn't exactly have a reputation as levelheaded. "Well," He began once more, "I'm not sure they relate to those variety of topics, my dear." He said running a hand through his hair. "There's a boy I was told you were familiar with."

"Oh, I'm familiar with _tons_ of boys!" Mabel said, cutting the man off once more. "The list is _so_ long, I don't even know where to begin. _Let's see-_" She continued, holding a hand out towards her and counting on her fingers just a few of the guys at the top of her head. Luckily, Ford stopped her before she could begin.

"Are you familiar with a boy with the name Gideon?" Stanford asked, putting his hands behind his back once more.

Mabel looked up at Ford and groaned. "Is this about_ Gideon?_" She asked, folding her arms. "Look Grunkle Ford, if Gideon asked you to confess his undying love for me, or... _something_, tell him that I'm _not interested!_" She said, rolling her eyes.

Fiddleford and Stanford looked at each other for a moment in complete confusion. Ford just shook his head before speaking. "I can assure you, that's not what this is about." He said with a confirming nod of his head. "It's clear to me that you_ know_ the boy, but I was hoping to ask you if you knew a specific item of_ power_ he had possessed at one point." He said.

"Item of power?" Mabel asked. "You mean, like, _magic?_"

Stanford nodded his head at the question. "Yes." He confirmed. "By any chance, did you see Gideon with an_ amulet _of some sort? A teal-ish green color, to be a bit more specific?" He asked, looking hopefully at his niece.

"Uh, yeah." Mabel answered. "He had it back when he went all psycho-crazy on Dipper." She informed.

Fiddleford looked down at the ground in deep thought. "Hol' on a minute..." He muttered, folding his arms and putting his index finger atop his chin. "I think I might be startin' to remember' somethin'." He said, still looking away.

Ford looked over at McGucket and tilted his head. "Can you recall what you're remembering? Is it a subject related to something such as this?" He questioned.

"I...I _think_ so..." Fiddleford said, squinting his eyes down at the ground and putting a hand on his forehead. "There was this one night, yall' two kids were on a boat on the lake."

"Dipper and Mabel?" Ford questioned.

Fiddleford shook his head at the question. "Naw, Mabel and Gideon." He corrected. He looked up at Mabel for a moment and raised an eyebrow. "Wait a minute, wasn't that the day the two of ye' had yer' date?" He questioned.

"Oh, I wouldn't call it a _date_." Mabel said, chuckling in an awkwardly disturbed manner. "But..._ yeah,_ why?"

"I'm a'thinkin' I was there for part of it." Fiddleford said, narrowing his eyes.

"Hold on," Mabel said, getting off the spinny-chair and extending out an arm. "I thought the only memories you lost were because of the memory gun." She observed, folding her arms.

Fiddleford just laughed and shook his head. "That's different, lassie." He said with another chuckle, "This is jus' some plain ol' man memory loss." He said.

"Mabel," Stanford began once more, getting down on one knee and placing a hand on his niece's shoulder. "Is there_ anything_ you can tell us to assist in our investigations? Anything at all?" He asked in a calm manner.

"Investigations?" Mabel asked with a wide-eyed smile. "Ooh, like a _mystery?_ I want to go on a mystery adventure, or, _whatever_ it is that's happening!" She said, clapping her hands together. "We should make a deal! I'll tell you whatever you need to know, and I get to help out!" She said, a clear showing of eagerness in her voice.

Ford just chuckled and looked over at McGucket. Fiddleford just shrugged, and Ford looked back at Mabel. "I'm sure that's somewhat feasible." He said with a nod of his head.

"Yay!" Mabel said with a smile. "Thanks, Grunkle Ford!" She thanked, ruffling the hair on his head before speaking once more, "Okay, so this is about that amulet thing?" She asked.

"Yes." Ford said, "Do you know anything about it?"

"Hmm, let's see," Mabel said, folding her arms and putting a finger on her chin. "It had some sort of floaty-people magic." She began.

Fiddleford tilted his head and put his hands in his brown overall pockets. "Do ye' mean Telekinesis?" He questioned.

Mabel just nodded. "Yeah, that thing." She said with a chuckle. "Telefleasis. He went all crazy on Dipper after he tried to tell Gideon that I wasn't interested in him and all." She said. "That's all I know, I think."

Ford just sighed, standing up. _That's all Bill knew, as well. I suppose this information didn't bring us much assistance. _Stanford looked back down at Mabel and put his hands behind this back. "Are you still in contact with this boy?" He asked.

"I mean,_ kinda._" Mabel said with a shrug. "I_ could_ talk to Gideon now that I'm back here in Gravity Falls-" She said, but was cut off when Fiddleford exclaimed at the top of his lungs, throwing his fists into the air and grinning from ear to ear as he shouted,

"_ROAD TRIP!_"

Ford and Mabel looked at each other both with a mix of confusion and annoyance in their eyes, then looked over at Fiddleford. Ford cleared his throat and put his hands behind his back hesitantly. "Fiddleford, I'm not so sure about the idea-"

"_Road trip!_" Mabel eagerly encouraged, now throwing her hands into the air and laughing with a smile.

Stanford just sighed, face palming. "Oh, dear..." He muttered.

Mabel and Fiddleford looked at each other with smiles and nodded at each other, chanting, "Road trip! Road trip! Road trip! Road-"

"_Alright!_" Ford suddenly exclaimed, putting one hand out in front of him and pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh. "I suppose, since Mabel is_ clearly_ okay with it, we could pay the boy a visit." He said, adjusting his glasses. "But first," He continued. "I would like to have a chat with Dipper. I would feel _awful_ for leaving for this without speaking with him for a bit." He said.

"Yeah," Mabel agreed, nodding slowly. "Dip-dop _did_ have his journal he wanted to show you." She admitted as the three walked towards the elevator. She looked at McGucket when the elevator door closed and she gasped. "I have an idea!" She exclaimed with a grin.

Fiddleford noticed the look on the girls face and raised an eyebrow. "An_ idea?_ W-what kinda' idea?" He asked, rather nervous judging by the look the girl was giving.

"A makeover!" Mabel exclaimed with a wide grin.

"S-say wha'?" Fiddleford questioned, folding his arms nervously.

"Yeah!" Mabel said with a smile. "While Grunkle Ford goes to talk to Dipper, I could give you a _superior, exemplary makeover!_"

The elevator door opened once more, and Mabel stepped out of the elevator, standing on the first stair step and putting her hands up in front of her face, closing one eye and looking carefully at McGucket. "I think..._yes!_ I have the_ perfect_ idea!" She said with a wide grin.

Fiddleford put a finger up to protest, but before he could say anything, Mabel was bolting up the stairs. Fiddleford just sighed, shaking his head slowly.

Ford just chuckled and looked at McGucket. "Oh, I'm sure it won't be so bad," He assured. "She_ insisted_ on giving me a makeover once, I'm sure it will only consist of bracelets and a bit of nail polish."

"Are ye' sure?" Fiddleford asked. Ford gave a short nod, however he couldn't be _100% sure_ with how and what his niece would do for the man. McGucket just hummed in a low tone, squinting his eyes. "That's not very reassurin'..." He muttered. However, McGucket decided to trust the girl, he knew that Mabel wouldn't do anything to hurt him, after all.

Before Fiddleford knew it, he was up in the twin's bedroom, sitting criss-cross on the floor as Mabel wrote with a crayon on a piece of paper. "Hmm..." She muttered. "I'll need to get some supplies, just wait a sec." She said, walking over towards her closet and digging through a random cardboard box. She took out a pair of large scissors, along with an electric razor.

_Oh golly... _Fiddleford fearfully thought to himself.

* * *

Meanwhile, as Mabel was in the process of giving Fiddleford a makeover, Joe and Mr. Powers were watching the cameras that they had instructed Fiddleford to place around the Mystery Shack.

"Sir," Joe began, looking at his boss. Mr. Powers gave a small grunt as he watched the cameras, which told Joe that he could speak. "You've been looking at those cameras for hours. Might I suggest a break?" He said with a shrug.

Mr. Powers just shook his head. "You and I _both_ know that we need as much information as possible from the Pines family in order for this plan to succeed. With the children back in the shack, we may have a chance of getting some crucial information on this case." He stated, folding his arms and leaning back in his chair as he put his ankles atop his desk. Mr. Powers looked to his left to look out the large glass windows.

Joe just hummed, scratching his moustache. "How's your daughter?" He asked, changing the subject.

"She seems to be doing just fine." Mr. Powers said. He then shot a glare at Joe, "Why are you asking? If you even attempt to get with my daughter, I'll show you the door and have your ass fired from this case, leaving you with nothing to defend yourself with!" He threatened, keeping his glare firm. "And besides, she has a boyfriend now, however I've never seen or met him." He added, muttering the last bit and looking away.

Joe shook his head frantically, putting his hands up in front of him in defense and gave a fearful chuckle. "Oh, d-don't worry, sir. I have_ no_ intention of busting a move on your daughter _whatsoever_." He reassured.

Mr. Powers just grunted and gave a bitter chuckle. "Good. She's out of your league, anyway." He said with a smirk. Joe narrowed his eyes at the cold comment, but didn't dare to speak his mind about it. Instead, he just folded his arms and looked out the window.

"Now," Mr. Powers continued, "Where's Fred?" He asked, looking over at Joe.

Joe looked over at his boss and spoke hesitantly. "You, uh... you _fired_ him, sir." He responded.

"When?" Powers quizzed, raising an eyebrow.

Joe hummed slightly at the question before responding. "You... ranted to me soon after about how he had nearly cost us this entire investigation." He reminded.

"How?" Powers asked, squinting his eyes in confusion.

"When he lost track of the cube on the tracking device. And when his attempt to get answers from Stan Pines was a poor one." Joe continued to remind.

"Has Fred been in contact with the Pines since then?" Powers asked.

Joe just shrugged at the question. "I'm not sure, sir." He admitted in more of a mutter.

Mr. Powers just scoffed. "Go find Fred. Talk to him." He commanded. "While you're off doing_ that_,_ I-" _He continued, but stopped when one of the cameras that Fiddleford had placed had been taken out. The screen was all staticky, which only confused Mr. Powers more. He tried to sense some audio from the microphone that was coming from Fiddleford's jumpsuit, however he could hear nothing more than a muffled static.

Powers glared in distaste. _I see Fiddleford has chosen to disobey my orders._ He thought to himself. Before his anger could be noticed, he turned to look at Joe, giving a blank look. "As I was saying, while you're off finding Fred, _I _will confront Fiddleford McGucket _myself_." He stated with a firm tone of voice.

"What should I tell Fred, sir?" Joe asked, grabbing his clipboard that was laying on a desk and grabbing hold of it as he took a pen in hand. He found that taking notes on what his boss said always helped. Without it, he would have been fired a _long_ time ago.

"Ask him if he's spoken with the Pines, you_ idiot!_" Mr. Powers stated, rolling his eyes and growling.

Joe nodded a bit more frantic than necessary, and was quick to jot down the instructions given on paper. "Yes, sir." Joe said with a nod of his head. "Is that it?" He asked.

"Actually," Mr. Powers began with a hum. "Tell him to stop by some time. I can't see him hesitating long with orders given by _you_." He said.

Joe tilted his head at the statement. "What are you saying?" He asked, rather confused.

Mr. Powers just chuckled, shaking his head. "Some things are for you to find out _yourself._" He said with a smirk. "Maybe with Fred's information, we can push further on our target's blackmail."

* * *

"Aaaand...we're..._done!_" Mabel said with a wide smile, throwing her hands up in the air and setting the hair brush down.

Fiddleford felt the top of his hair and smiled in approval at the fluffiness. "Wow, ye' really outdid yerself, Mabel!" He said, standing up from off the round carpet and looking down at his outfit. He was now wearing an olive green sweater vest, with a long sleeved light yellow button up underneath, along with a purple tie underneath the sweater vest. Fiddleford also wore brown dress pants, along with a black vest.

Throughout the process, Fiddleford had forgotten all about his old outfit. He had taken his hat with the camera off. He had replaced his jumpsuit with the microphone with his new outfit. Worst of all, he had forgotten _all about it._

"And now to show Grunkle Ford!" Mabel said, putting her hands on her hips and smiling.

"Stanford..?" Fiddleford repeated, adjusting his glasses. "I'm not so sure about that, Mabel." He muttered.

"Aw, come on!" Mabel encouraged. "I'm sure he'll love it!"

"Are ye' sure?" McGucket questioned hesitantly. Mabel just nodded in confirmation. Fidds sighed, but nodded his head. "Alright..." He muttered, still not so sure how the man would react.

Meanwhile, Dipper and Ford were in the living room, sitting on the couch chair and talking about anomalies and Dipper's personal journal.

"I must say, that is some _outstanding_ work on anomalies you have written in your journal, Dipper!" Stanford praised with a smile. "I'm _truly_ impressed."

After hearing the compliments, all Dipper could do was grin like an idiot. "Uh... thanks!" He managed to say. He opened his mouth to say something else, but stopped when he heard Mabel yelling from upstairs.

"_Grunkle Ford!_" Mabel exclaimed, rushing down the stairs as she held onto McGucket's wrist. "He's done!" She said with a smile, peeking through the doorframe to the living room.

Stanford looked at the girl and tilted his head. "Is he now?" He asked, adjusting his glasses and standing up. Dipper watched his uncle head walk away and sighed, folding her arms. _How come Mabel's getting all of his attention recently? _

"Ready?" Mabel asked, looking at Fiddleford who was still hidden behind the other side of the wall. McGucket nodded, and Mabel threw her arms up in the air as the man walked into eyesight. Fiddleford chuckled awkwardly and adjusted his glasses, giving a small wave to the man in front of him.

Ford's mouth hung open slightly, and he found himself at a loss of words. Mabel was just about to break the silence by throwing some glitter she kept in her sweater sleeve between the two, however Fiddleford broke the silence first. "Erm… Hi, Ford." He said, adjusting his glasses and running a hand through his hair awkwardly.

"_H_..._hi_." Ford responded, still speechless.

As if on cue, Dipper walked over to the group and looked at Fiddleford. He smiled in approval and put his hands in his coat pockets. "Woah, you look great, McGucket!" He complimented.

Mabel nodded in agreement. "My work _never_ fails! Except for that one time when I tried to give Grunkle Stan a makeover for his around-the-house attire. He didn't really seem to understand the fashion industry. Talk about_ clothes minded!_" She said with a snicker.

"What was that about me?" Stan asked, suddenly appearing behind the girl after his trip to the kitchen. Mabel turned around to look at her uncle, however Stan seemed to notice Fiddleford before any explanation was given. "Woah, what happened to _that guy_?" He asked, nodding his head over at Fiddleford.

"I gave him a makeover!" Mabel exclaimed with a grin, throwing her hands into the air.

"Huh," Stan said, folding his arms and tilting his head to show his approval. "He don't look half bad." He admitted with a smirk.

"Yeah, you won't need your old outfit anymore!" Mabel said with a smile. "Good thing you like the new outfit, I kinda already threw your old one out." She said with an awkward chuckle, squinting her eyes and looking away.

Fiddleford just tilted his head. "Er… Come again?" He asked, confused. _Threw out? What does she mean by-_

That's when Fiddleford realized; He had_ completely_ disobeyed the orders Mr. Powers had given him._ Aw, fiddlesticks... I'll nev'r hear the end of this if I don't get that outfit back._ Fiddleford looked over at Mabel and adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Erm… Mabel, where exactly did you _put_ the clothes?" He questioned, putting his hands behind his back. He found that doing so helped him to stand up straight rather than slouching.

"Outside." Mabel answered.

"Wha- _When?_" Fiddleford questioned, his eyes widened in surprise at how Mabel could have possibly taken them outside when she had been with him the _entire time _during the makeover, save the bit where he had left the room to change into his outfit. But even then, how would the girl have_ possibly_ gotten hold of the garments?

Dipper just folded his arms, looking over at McGucket. "I wouldn't question her, man." He advised with a shrug.

"Grunkle Ford, can we go to Gideon's now?" Mabel asked with an innocent smile.

Stanley put his hands on his hips. "Say _what _now? Kid, you've been here for, what, an _hour?_" He stated, rolling his eyes. "And plus, why are you going to _Gideon?" _

Ford adjusted his glasses and looked at his brother. "It's a rather important matter, Stanley." He tried.

Stan just grunted. "So, ain't no one gonna tell me what's goin' on?" He asked.

Ford cringed at his brother's terrible grammar, however proceeded. "There will be time for explanations later." He stated.

"Road trip!" Mabel exclaimed, throwing her fists into the air.

Fiddleford, however, was rather hesitant to agree. Should he _risk_ leaving the Mystery Shack after he had disobeyed the orders given? What if Mr. Powers found him and punished him? After taking his hat off _last time,_ McGucket _knew_ he wouldn't be let off the hook easily this time. However, staying at the shack with Stan and Dipper didn't seem too reassuring, either. He knew that Stan wouldn't really care if he were to be found or escorted away from the shack; his best bet would be to go with Ford. Surely Stanford would ensure his safety.

McGucket sighed before nodding his head in agreement with a smile. "Yea', road trip!" He chimed in. With that, the three left the house to head to Gideon's home.

Stan looked over at Dipper and leaned against the doorframe. "How come your sister's so eager to see that idiot?" He asked.

Dipper just shrugged. "She didn't tell me." He admitted.

* * *

Meanwhile, Bill was plucking the strings on the instrument he had recently shown some interest in. Karen had encouraged him to continue trying out the instrument, which, to Bill's own surprise, he was completely unopposed to.

Oh yeah, Bill's life was going great. Much more knowledge of the amulet capabilities had been brought to his attention, as well as some information about the things around him. He had his whole plan of revenge planned out; for the most part, that is. He had just recently obtained an official relationship with his girlfriend who loved and cared about him to the point where she had actually brought up having _children_ later in life. Bill was hesitant when Karen had mentioned having kids. He had only been human for, what, six months now? Bill wasn't sure he would be ready for something like that. And regardless, he had _never_ shown an interest in that type of plan, even_ before_ becoming a human.

As much as Bill tried to push a specific thought away from his mind, it just seemed to keep coming back to him. He couldn't avoid thinking...

What would_ Stanford_ say?

How would the man react? Would he be upset, glum, or would he be... _happy_? Maybe if-

"Hey," Karen said, suddenly walking into the living room. Bill jumped at the sudden presence of the woman, his entire train of thought disturbed.

Regardless of the sudden appearance, he just waved. "Hey." He responded back.

"Do you know why the blender's been acting up?" Karen questioned as she brushed her hair. "It's been acting weird lately."

Bill knew the reason why the blender wasn't working well; I guess putting rocks inside a blender wasn't a normal activity. Instead of explaining his excuse of a reason for putting the blender on full speed with large rocks inside, he just shook his head. "No." He lied.

Karen just hummed in confusion. "It was working a few days ago..." She muttered.

"Maybe it was your dad." Bill said with a shrug.

Karen shook her head at the thought. "No, he hasn't been here for a visit in a while. I'm trying to get him to stop by, but he's been really busy with work stuff recently. Something about 'needing as much information as possible' or, whatever." She said with a shrug. "I bet it's not even that important." She added in more of a mutter.

* * *

When Stanford, McGucket, and Mabel arrived at the tent of telepathy, they found a place to park. The tent was a short enough drive from the shack that the three could have walked, however no one was_ quite_ sure how far of a distance it would be. It_ had_ been quite a while since Mabel had been to the tent of telepathy back in the summer, after all.

The three walked past the tent, over to the front door of his home. Fiddleford noticed the hesitant look on the girl's face, and offered to knock on the door for her. Mabel declined the kind offer and stood in front of the door, taking a deep breath before knocking on the door. They waited for a moment, and heard footsteps from inside the house making their way towards the door. The wait didn't take long until, suddenly, the boy they were intending to speak with opened the door.

The boy still had the same hair style as he had back in the summer, and he seemed to prefer the attire he had worn the majority of the summer, since he was wearing his light-blue suit.

Gideon looked at Mabel, not even realizing nor acknowledging the presence of Ford and McGucket. His eyes widened at the sight of her, and he tilted his head in complete confusion. "M-Mabel? What're ye' doin' in town?" He asked, completely forgetting to say 'hello'.

"Oh, just visiting for a couple weeks. Our school ended up getting this really bad lice problem, so they shut it down for a bit. Me and Dipper were just going to stay at Mom and Dad's, but then they made plans to go to Vegas." She said with a shrug.

"Dipper and_ I._" Stanford corrected, holding up a finger before putting his hands behind his back.

"_Vegas?_" Fiddleford chimed in, raising an eyebrow. "Why would yer' parents go to ter' Vegas on such short notice?" He questioned, adjusting his glasses.

It was at this moment that the two who had come along with Mabel had finally been noticed by Gideon. He looked at Ford; he looked oddly _familiar_ to Gideon, and had an appearance similar to Stan's. Gideon was quick to remember him, recognizing him as the smart science guy who had nearly saved the town from the events of Weirdmageddon.

Gideon then looked over at Fiddleford, not recognizing him at first. The makeover had made him hard to recognize; the white beard that had been cut to a short length that didn't go past his shoulders, and the entire outfit in general. It took a moment, but Gideon remembered him, noticing how he looked much more sane and put together than he had back in the summer.

Gideon just gave a smile to the men standing behind Mabel. "Well howdy, fellers!" He greeted. Ford gave a small, awkward wave as Fiddleford reached up to his head in the action of tipping his hat, only to remember that it was _gone_. He just ran a hand through his hair as to not make the movement look as if it were for no reason and greeted the boy.

"Is there a certain reason yall're here?" Gideon asked. He looked at Mabel and narrowed his eyes with a smile. "Or are ye' just here to see _me?_" He asked with a few seductive raises of his eyebrows.

Mabel just scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I'm still not interested, Gideon." She stated, folding her arms and looking away.

Ford noticed the short silence and cleared his throat. "...Well, to answer your questions," He began hesitantly. "...Yes and yes."

Fiddleford noticed the hesitance in the man's voice, however he knew that Stanford was never the best at socializing. However, it seemed as if he were trying to stay on the young boy's _good_ side, rather than having the chance of receiving answers blown.

Gideon raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What do ye' mean?" He asked.

"We came here in hopes of you answering a few questions for us-" Ford informed, adjusting his glasses.

All of a sudden, the group heard Gideon's father trying to address him, "Gideon, would you be so kind to help with-"

"Gimmie' a minute, dad!" Gideon exclaimed, clenching his fists and turning around to look at his father who was hardly visible from across the house. Bud did as told and was quick to leave towards another room. Gideon cleared his throat and smiled once more, looking at the group innocently.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and looked at the boy. "I hope we're not interrupting anything." He said.

Gideon just chuckled with a smile. "Of course not!" He assured, taking a step back and extending his arm beside him. "Come in, come in!"

The group walked into the house at the beckoning. The living room wasn't huge, however it wasn't small either. It was a nice, comforting size with rather welcoming furniture. Ford noticed a painting of a sad clown on the wall. It was different from the other pieces in the living room, weird even. At the thought of those flaws, he had quite a liking to the piece of artwork.

"Please," Gideon began, pointing to the couch. "Sit down, make yourselves comfortable, fellers!" He said with a smile, walking over to a comfortable chair across from the couch. He crossed one leg over the other and clasped his hands together on his lap, looking at the three. "Anyone want some tea?" He asked.

Mabel and Stanford politely denied the kind offer, however McGucket nodded with a gratified smile. "Yes please!" He said with a grin.

Gideon just nodded and turned around to look at the kitchen, yelling, "Make some tea, _dad_!" He commanded with a glare. There was a sound of clattering in the kitchen for a moment. The group cringed for a moment at the cold order. Mabel just tilted her head with a skeptical look on her face. _I can see that he's trying to make an effort to be good, but he's still gonna need some help on the whole father-son thing. _

Gideon cleared his throat and turned back around to look at the group with a smile appearant on his face once more. "Now, what kind of questions were ya' hoping to ask me?" He questioned.

Mabel and Fiddleford both turned to look at Ford, the scientist noticing that all eyes were suddenly on him. A wave of nervousness passed by him, however he cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses. "I hear you are familiar with a specific magic _amulet_, if I am not mistaken." He began in a firm and confident manner.

Gideon nodded at the remark as a look of annoyance appeared on his face. "I_ used_ to have one, until _your_ dimwitted, moron of a brother _smashed_ it!" He exclaimed, pointing at Mabel with his other fist clenched and glaring. There was a moment of silence in the room, and Gideon chuckled awkwardly, leaning back in his chair. "Er... probably for the_ better'a_ things. The magic capabilities that amulet had kinda got to my head." He admitted in more of a mutter.

"Hey, Dipper didn't smash the amulet!" Mabel said in her brothers defense, folding her arms. "I did! You went all _psycho_ on him when_ you_-" She began to rant, however Ford put a hand over her mouth to stop her from speaking. He didn't want to risk having Mabel make Gideon irritated and enraged to the point where he wouldn't assist with the questions they were hoping to get answers to.

"So you have had possession of this amulet before?" Ford asked. Gideon nodded at the question, however he was rather confused on _why_ the man wanted to know.

Ford adjusted his glasses and looked at the boy. "What exactly was it used for? What was it's use, it's purpose?" He questioned, taking a pen and paper out of his lab coat to take notes.

Gideon noticed the gesture and had a small feeling of unease. "Uh..." He began, "It was used for tricks and all at the Tent of Telepathy. It's purpose, well, I-I'm not exactly sure about that one." Gideon admitted, awkwardly fidgeting with his hands and looking away.

Ford nodded in an understanding manner and wrote down a quick note on his notepad before looking back at the boy. "And where did you _get_ the amulet? How did you obtain it?" He questioned further.

Gideon bit his lip, and looked at the man, a look of unease _very_ apparent on his face. "W-what's it to _you_?" He asked, folding his arms.

Stanford wasn't exactly sure how to respond to a question such as that. Surely the boy wouldn't understand. He just shrugged in an awkward manner. "Research is very important to me in my book." He said. This was true- which is why the half-lie sounded _much_ more convincing when he said it.

Gideon narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Book... _book.._," He pondered, looking at the man with his eyes still narrowed. "Yer' the author of those journals!" Gideon observed, pointing at the man. "Don't ye' already _know_ all these facts?" He asked in a_ very_ suspicious manner.

Fiddleford looked at Ford and raised an eyebrow "Wha-?" He began, but was cut off by the young boy.

"_You_ were the one who wrote all those facts about the amulet in the _first place!_" Gideon stated, folding his arms once more.

Mabel was just as confused as the others, if not_ more_ confused. She turned to look at her uncle and raised an eyebrow. "Grunkle Ford, what's he talking about?" She asked.

At first, Ford had no _clue_ what the boy had been talking about when he had said that he had researched the object. It took him a few moments before realizing...

This had been the _same_ amulet he had researched about in the past. After his close research of the object, he had written his facts in Journal 2, eventually hiding it near the elementary school. Ford wanted to kick himself for not realizing this simple observation earlier. For the past couple weeks, he had been wondering, _pondering_ the thought of what power this amulet could_ possibly_ possess besides the information that had been given to him by others beforehand. When Fiddleford had first shown him the amulet that he had found shattered and had rebuilt, Ford_ knew_ that the accessory looked familiar. _Somehow._

Ford rolled his eyes, remembering that Bill had_ burnt_ the journals. He looked back at the group and put a finger up. "Well," He began, however was stopped when an familiar face to Ford appeared in the living room.

"Here's your tea, precious!" Bud said with a smile, handing the tea over to his son. Gideon pointed at Fiddleford, motioning that it was for him. Bud nodded and handed the teacup and saucer to Fiddleford instead. The older man thanked him and Bud excused himself from the room before he could be seen as a disturbance to his son or the group.

Ford cleared his throat hesitantly, "Well, as I was-" He began, but stopped frantically when Fiddleford jerked forward, nearly spitting out the tea that he had attempted to drink_ too quickly_. He squealed frantically and squinted his eyes shut as the tea continued to burn his mouth, along with his tongue. Luckily for him, he managed to swallow the tea rather than spitting it out and making a mess.

Fiddleford opened his eyes slowly, one of the bottoms of his eyelids twitching slightly. He could feel the intense heat in the inside of his mouth, along with the burnt tongue. Mabel too looked at Fiddleford and raised an eyebrow. "Uh, you okay there, doofus?" She asked.

Fiddleford nodded slowly, however he sure didn't_ feel_ okay. "Y-ye'." He lied with an awkward chuckle. "Sorry 'bout that." He apologized, looking down at the floor in embarrassment.

"Do you need some honey?" Gideon offered. "It helps with burnt tongues." He said. "There's a water fountain outside." He added, pointing towards the door.

Fiddleford denied the kind offers, however Gideon_ insisted _that he got some help with the situation. He knew that the boy was only trying to help, so McGucket went along with it and went outside for a moment. When Fiddleford had gone outside and shut the door behind him, Gideon looked back at Stanford. "So, what were ye' sayin?" He asked.

McGucket stood on the porch and looked around the lawn in front of him. To the right was a stone water fountain with fresh, flowing water. He sighed in relief at the sight, and took a few steps forward. However, before he made his way to go down the porch stairs, a man in a black suit appeared in front of him suddenly as if he had fallen from the sky.

"_Gah!_" Fiddleford exclaimed in alarm, stumbling backwards. He looked up at the man standing in front of him with his mouth open wide in fear. "W-what're ye' doin' here?" He questioned.

"Don't play dumb with _me_, hillbilly." The man said, folding his arms. "You disobeyed the_ strict_ yet _simple_ orders I gave you." He stated.

"I-I din' mean no harm," Fiddleford tried, "I-I-"

"Oh, save the sauce." The agent commanded. "You're coming with me." He stated in a bitter manner.

Fiddleford shook his head frantically. "N-No, please don't make me g-go back, s-sir..." He begged.

"Give me one good reason." The man said, putting his hands on his hips. "I'll wait."

"I-I, um.." Fiddleford tried, however he had no good reasons. Nothing to help him. _No way out of this_.

"I'm_ not_ very sorry to say," The agent continued. "You must be taken to the station today. I have plans of visiting my daughter tomorrow after her constant begging. I'm skeptical, being that she has obtained a boyfriend within a time period of only two weeks." He added, muttering the last bit and looking away.

There was a short silence. Fiddleford_ knew_ that Mr. Powers has a daughter. He also recalled seeing a girl similar to the one in the photo on the agents desk when he had gone to the magic festival. He recalled Bill being with a girl that looked like the girl in the photograph... but why?

That's when he realized...

_No_, Fiddleford thought to himself. _That's ridiculous. There's no way his daughter is a'with Bill._

Powers facial expression turned back to a glare as he looked down at the man who was still sitting down. He drew out a black pistol, pointing it at Fiddleford. "One more time, old man," Mr. Powers warned. "_Come. with. m-_" He began, until he heard a sound coming from inside the house. The agent stopped speaking and narrowed his eyes at the sound of footsteps walking over to the front door.

If Mr. Powers were to take McGucket _now,_ he would be caught by whomever was walking towards the door. Mr. Powers narrowed his eyes at the man he was about to spare as he put his gun back. "I_ will_ be back." He threatened. "You're_ not_ safe Do not attempt to _feel_ safe. Do you understand me?" He asked.

Fiddleford looked up at the man and gave a frantic nod. With that, Mr. Powers quickly left, jumping into a bush and departing from the house with stealth.

McGucket quickly stood up on the porch and turned around to see who was coming outside. Ford walked out of the house and looked at him, adjusting his glasses. "Are you okay, Fiddleford?" He asked.

Fiddleford could only nod. What was he supposed to say? If he were to say anything otherwise, the agent would only blackmail and punish him_ further_. Punishments aside, Mr. Powers could still be near. Watching. Listening.

_Waiting_.

"H-How did the discussion go?" Fiddleford asked, adjusting his glasses.

"We worked out the confusion," Ford confirmed with a reassuring smile. His smile then faded slightly, as he looked away, talking in a lower tone so that the others in the house wouldn't overhear. "I believe coming here was a bit unnecessary." He admitted.

"T-That's n-not... true," Fiddleford stuttered, putting a hand on Ford's shoulder. "Ye' found out t-that the amulet Cipher got w-was the same one ye' researched back in t-the day." He said. "A-At least now you know what we're dealing with." He said, returning the previous smile before taking his hand away from the man's shoulder.

Stanford just nodded. "Yes, I suppose that's true." He said with a nod of his head. He looked back at Fiddleford with a look of concern. "Fiddleford, are you certain that you're okay? You seem to be stuttering quite a lot." He observed.

Fiddleford's eyes widened, and he chuckled in fear, his top eyelids rising as he looked away. "Y-Ye', I-I'm fine." He lied. "My, erm… m-my tongue is just buggin' me a tad bit." He lied, running a hand through his hair in an awkward manner.

Stanford hummed in minor suspicion, however he_ knew_ the feeling of a burnt tongue. It's certainly_ not_ fun to deal with.

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel suddenly exclaimed, walking over to the door and tugging Ford's sweater to get his attention.

Ford looked down at his niece with a smile. "Yes, my dear?"

"Can we leave?" Mabel asked in a hopeful manner. "Gideon's starting to talk about a fresh start..." She said, going from a mutter to a whisper when she said, "You know what that means? A _date__!"_ She informed with a frown. She groaned and shivered at the thought of her dates with Gideon back in the summer.

"I suppose so," Ford answered with a shrug. "Just be sure to say goodbye to the boy as to not be rude."

Mabel nodded at the simple request and did as told. Moments later, the group headed out the door towards their car that had been parked by the Tent of Telepathy. By the feeling of the cool air and the faint colors of pink in the sky, the sun would begin to set soon. Ford always did like watching the lovely Sun set Oregon had to offer. Some days there would be only faint color in the sky other than shades of blue, but even then the outstanding fresh air would be enough to satisfy a person. The scenery in Gravity Falls, and around Oregon, always assisted in calming him from whatever stress had built up throughout the day. Ford wasn't the _only _author who could understand that.

* * *

"Grunkle Ford, Grunkle Ford!" Dipper called, holding his journal in hand as he ran towards his uncle as he walked through the front door. "I saw something weird in the forest!" He informed with a grin.

"Really?" Ford questioned as he shut the front door to the house. He looked down at Dipper and raised an eyebrow. "What did you see?" He asked.

Dipper shrugged slowly, looking away. "Well, I'm not exactly sure..," He admitted in a mutter. He was quick to smile once again and look up at Ford. "Can we go check it out?" He asked in a hopeful manner.

Mabel just groaned. "The forest, Dipper?" She asked. Dipper nodded, which only annoyed Mabel further. "Can't you go 24 hours without getting involved in some sort of mysterious situation?"

Dipper shook his head with a wide grin plastered along his face. "Nope!" He answered.

Mabel just shrugged, and looked over at Fiddleford, who looked rather worried as he fidgeted with his hands. She tilted her head at the strange behavior. "You okay there, ol' McDonald?"

Fiddleford looked at the girl and was quick to nod with a smile that he was hoping looked reassuring. "Y-ye', I'm all good!" He said with a chuckle, looking away.

Mabel squinted her eyes at the behavior. "O...kay?"

"So can we go?" Dipper asked Ford, looking hopeful.

Stan came out of the living room with a bag of chips and rolled his eyes with a grunt. "Aw, c'mon kid, he just got back from his little secret meeting with a child. I don't think he's gonna-"

"I suppose so." Ford answered with a shrug. Dipper exclaimed in glee, and Stan looked at his brother with his mouth hung open.

"You sure about this, Pointdexter?" Stanley asked. "Ya' don't wanna overwork yourself."

"Oh, I'm just fine." Ford assured with a smile. "It would be foolish to deny a chance to discover something weird." He stated.

Mabel looked at Stan and smiled bright, "Ooh, Grunkle Stan!" She called with a large smile. "Can we make Picklocko art with chewed gum?" she asked with a smile.

Stan hummed in consideration for a moment, and shrugged. "I don't see why not." He answered. Mabel was quick to run off to get the supplies; Chewing gum, a canvas, a picture frame, a steam iron, and other objects that the _average_ person would find strange.

With Stan and Mabel gone, that left Stanford, Fiddleford, and Dipper by the front door. Dipper looked at Fiddleford. "Are you coming with, McGucket?" He asked.

Fiddleford was hesitant. He looked at Dipper, then at Ford, then back at Dipper. _The forest... anything could happen in the forest... _He thought to himself. _What if Mr. Powers finds me again? _Fiddleford was afraid of leaving the house again- especially after the encounter he had recently had with the agent. Could he honestly risk it? _Again? _He had been hesitant the first time, and was foolish enough to go along with, away from the Mystery Shack. With Stanford off with his attention on the weirdness his nephew had spoken about, McGucket feared he could be dragged away without the others noticing.

"Fiddleford?" Ford said suddenly, causing said man to flinch slightly.

"O-oh, _sorry_," Fiddleford said, scratching his back awkwardly with a chuckle. "I-I'll go." He announced, instantly regretting his decision. "But," He added, holding up a finger, "What if I get captured?" He asked in a hesitant manner. The worry couldn't seem to leave him alone.

Ford just raised an eyebrow. "Why on Earth would you be captured?" He questioned.

Fiddleford's eyes widened at the way he had asked his question, and was quick to restate it. "B-By the... the _monster!_" He said in a louder tone.

"That _won't happen_." Ford assured with a small smile. "I'll make sure of it." He said, grabbing hold of the doorknob to the front door and opening it, Dipper quickly getting out of the shack with a wide grin, with Fiddleford hesitantly following behind.

The three looked around at the trees as they walked towards the forest. Even though Dipper wasn't exactly sure where the mysterious thing had gone, Ford allowed him to take the lead on the adventure.

"I hope it's a monster," Dipper said as he grabbed a broken tree branch off the ground. "As long as it's not _too_ dangerous." He said, waving the stick around as if it were to be a defensive weapon.

"That stick you are holding in your hand happens to be poison oak, Dipper." Ford figuratively pointed out with his hands behind his back. Dipper exclaimed in fear and threw the stick far away from him, the wood landing in a small bush nearby.

A sudden noise came from a few larger trees in the distance. Dipper gasped, however the smile was still apparent on his face. "Great uncle Ford, can we go check that out?" He asked.

Ford nodded. "Lead the way." He encouraged before looking over at Fiddleford, who had tripped over a rock and was now laying on the ground. Ford knelt down to check on the man and looked over at Dipper. "You go ahead, we'll be right behind you." He assured, waving his hand. Dipper nodded and walked towards the part of the forest where he had heard noise.

"Are you okay, Fiddleford?" Ford questioned, looking at the man who was squinting his eyes at the sunlight shining onto his eyes. He groaned at the blinding light and nodded, sitting up. Stanford stood up and held an arm out, which Fiddleford grabbed hold of, pulling himself off the ground.

"Y-yeah, I'm... fine." McGucket lied, nervously adjusting his glasses and looking away.

Ford wasn't convinced. He was a terrible bluffer, and he had used that excuse many times in the past, the short stutter unintentionally included. Stanford put his hands in his lab coat pockets and tilted his head. "...Are you sure?"

McGucket ran a hand through his hair. He shouldn't say anything about what was going on. He _couldn't_. There was no way that he could explain what was happening, especially with the possible eyes watching him. He then remembered that they were in the forest, and it was very easy to get lost in a place like that. With a sigh, he looked up at Ford with a firm glance, grabbing the man's shoulders and swiftly pinning him against a tree.

Ford's eyes widened, not sure what to expect next. "Fiddleford, what are you doing-?" He questioned, but was cut off by the other man.

"Listen. Just..._ listen._" McGucket hoped, looking at the scientist. Ford was confused by the strange action, this wasn't like Fidds at_ all,_ so what was bothering him? He had picked up on the man's nervousness, however he wasn't sure _what_ had been causing it. Fiddleford shut his eyes and sighed once more before muttering, "_I'm being blackmailed._"

"_Blackmailed?_" Ford asked aloud, unaware of he fact that Fiddleford was intending to_ keep their voices down_. Fidds frantically placed a hand over the scientist's mouth.

"N-Now I'm only gonn' say this once," Fiddleford warned, looking at Stanford, "I don't wanna risk... _him_ hearing." He muttered, looking away.

Ford grabbed McGucket's wrists and took his hands away from his shoulder, as well as his mouth. "..._Him?_" He repeated, raising an eyebrow, minding his volume.

Fiddleford just nodded before continuing to speak. "I'm gonna speak frankly, here," He continued to mutter. Ford nodded, ready to listen to what the man had to say. "I'm bein' blackmailed. Manipulated. There are small cameras and microphones that'a been hidden around the shack, as well as yer' car." He said.

Ford's mouth opened slightly at the information. "..Why?" He asked. "What's the reason to all of this? And who is doing this to you?" He continued to question.

"Mr. Powers." Fiddleford blurted out. His eyes widened immediately and he covered his own mouth with both his hands. _Oh dear, I probably shouldnt'a said that..._ McGucket sighed and looked away with a look of regret on his face. "I-I'm just... I'm _scared_, Stanford. I'm not gonna lie ta' ye no more. I'm sorry fer' not tellin' ye' earlier, I just, he, Mr. Powers, I, When he-" McGucket continued to ramble.

Ford sighed, noticing the sudden rambling from the other man. He put a hand on McGucket's shoulder and gave him a firm look. "It's going to be okay." He assured.

"H-How can ye' be so sure?" Fiddleford asked. "He-He's out there, lookin' fer me." He stated. "I don't feel safe anywhere anymore." He admitted, looking down at his feet.

"You can stay at the shack." Ford offered, "Until all of this comes to an end, you can stay at the shack. I'll make _sure_ you stay safe." He said.

"A-Are ye' sure?" Fiddleford asked hesitantly. "I don't wanna' be a bother..."

"You won't be." Stanford assured. "Besides, I would much prefer you staying at the shack rather than encountering Mr. Powers again." He added, adjusting his glasses before putting his hands in his lab coat pockets.

After hearing this, Fiddleford sighed, hesitantly looking up at Ford with a small smile. "I don't deserve yer' kindness, Stanford." He muttered, running a hand through his hair. He looked around and raised an eyebrow. "Hey, where'd yer' nephew go?" He asked, changing the subject and looking around.

Ford looked around and noticed Dipper standing over by a tree, writing something down in his journal. Ford gave a small smile at the sight, pleased to see his nephew writing and cataloging his findings in a journal, just like he had done in the past.

**There's the end of this chapter! Again, I'm sorry for the longer wait than usual. This chapter was over 9,000 words. Yes, I know it was long, but I had been hoping to get all of this out in one chapter before the events of the next chapter. I really tried to push this chapter out towards the end, because I didn't want to leave this story two weeks with no new updates. Next chapter will be up sooner than this one! **

**(Also, I'm making some new cover art for this fic. If you're at all interested in seeing some art I've made/am making for this story, it's on my Pinterest board, "Welcome Home ART!" My pin user is listed on my profile. It's not very full yet, sorry about that.) **


	33. Two short visits

**Well, our school was going to have spring break _anyway_, but it started a week early due to Coronavirus issues. I don't think it's _here, _however it's close enough to my location for people to get concerned about it and take this action. ;-; I hear that a lot of schools are doing this. At first it was only going to go until the 27th of March, however it seems to have extended until April 28th, and possibly longer. I've heard online schooling with our teachers come up, so I guess we'll see what happens.**

**Okay, remember last chapter when I said I tried to push the chapter out? Well, I forgot to add a semi-important detail that I had planned for the end, so... instead of adding some extra info into the last chapter, I'll just continue from where the last chapter left off; In the forest, with Ford just recently informed about the blackmail situation Fiddleford is going through. I made a pretty foolish mistake, sorry about that... **

**Anyway, here is chapter 36 of "Welcome Home"! **

"Hey, where'd yer' nephew go?" Fiddleford questioned, looking around the forest in concern.

Stanford looked around, and was quick to notice Dipper standing beside a tree, jotting something down in the journal his nephew had showed him earlier in the day. Ford couldn't help but crack a smile at the sight. He was pleased to see Dipper cataloging his forest findings in a journal, just like Ford had done in his past. Seeing his great nephew following in his footsteps was truly an astonishing sight.

Ford pointed over to Dipper. "He's right over there, I knew he wouldn't go far." He said, putting his hands behind his back. He walked past a few trees, walking over towards his nephew and looking down at what he was writing. Dipper seemed very focused when he was cataloging his findings, so Ford didn't wish to disturb.

McGucket, however, walked right up to Dipper, visibly looking at the journal in his hands. "Watcha' writin'?" He asked, adjusting his glasses and squinting his eyes to see the words better.

The sudden presence must have been alarming, as Dipper jumped back in fear as he looked at McGucket. Dipper ended up crashing into Ford, luckily the older man was good at keeping his balance. Dipper adjusted his hat and looked up at his uncle. "Oh, sorry guys." He muttered with an awkward chuckle. "I got kinda...uh, lost in my writing." He said, scratching the back of his neck.

Ford could only chuckle. "I suppose that makes two of us," He began, "I tend to get rather focused when writing. Bill would usually wish to chat or annoy me, and I would end up losing my train of thought." He admitted, adjusting his glasses.

"Oh, yeah," Dipper began, closing his journal and keeping it under his arm. "Where_ is_ Bill, anyway?" He asked, tilting his head in confusion.

Ford remembered that the twins were not yet aware of the man's disappearance. He wondered if Mabel had noticed the dissappearance of her friend. Ford put his hands behind his back and cleared his throat.

"Oh," Ford began in a mutter, looking away. "Bill left the shack a while ago. I haven't spoken with him since his disappearance, however I _have_ seen him at a public event in town." He said, running a hand through his hair. "Bill's gone now. I'm not sure he'll come back." He added with a small frown, his hands dropping to his sides.

Dipper didn't seem to notice the frown, hence his small chuckle. "It's about time," He muttered with an eyeroll, putting his hands on his hips. "Bill was a total jerk. I'm not sure why anyone could_ possibly_ be upset about him leaving, am I right?" He asked, looking at Ford before looking off into the distance.

Fords fists slowly clenched by his sides at the words, and he was quick to put his hands behind his back once more. "Well," He began in a calm manner, until Dipper gasped intensely.

"Oh my gosh, oh my gosh!" Dipper squealed with his eyes widened. The three looked over at where Dipper was pointing. "It's the journals!" He exclaimed, running forward and getting down on his knees to look at the books. "Th-They're _here!_" He exclaimed, putting his hands atop his hat in disbelief. _How did they end up here? _Dipper asked himself. A wide grin was plastered along his face at the sight of the previously burned journals.

Fiddleford looked down at the journals with wide-eyes. "My golly, how long have they been _here?_" He asked, tilting his head.

"And... _why_?" Ford also questioned. He admitted to himself that he should have felt a bit more excitement at seeing his journals once again. Instead, it was just yet _another_ reminder of his past.

"This... this is amazing!" Dipper said in awe, kneeling down to grab the three journals, stacking them atop each other to make them easier to hold. "I thought they were gone!"

"As did I," Ford said, holding a hand out. "May I see one?" He asked, looking down at Dipper.

"Yeah," Dipper said, handing the top journal, journal 3, to his uncle. "Here."

Ford looked down at the journal in his hands and opened it up. He looked through the pages. Yes, this was, indeed, the journals he had lost. The journals that had been burnt. The feeling of holding his life's work in his hands once more gave him mixed emotions. Relief, but also aggravation. Joy, but also regret. Regardless, there was one question rushing through his head as he held the history of his research in his six fingered hexadactyly hands.

_Why?_

This was a question Ford just couldn't answer. His 12 PhDs did him no good in identifying the answer to this strange reappearance of the journals. Were the journals burning merely an illusion? Maybe. However Ford would have no for-sure way to predict that, being that he was not present when the journals had been burnt in the first place. If he had seen the event, there may be a possibility that he would have seen past Bill's fire illusion.

"...What does this mean?" Dipper asked, tilting his head in minor confusion.

Ford shrugged at the question he didn't have an accurate answer to. "I don't know." He answered. He looked at Dipper and Fiddleford. "We must head back to the shack at once," He stated, taking the other two journals. "I'll have to run a few tests on these for any signs of DNA or other substances that may give an explanation."

The others nodded in unison. With that, the three retreated back to the shack.

* * *

Nothing _too_ interesting went on for the next couple weeks in Gravity Falls. Save Mabel putting on a karaoke concert with Waddles and Gompers, and Stan attempting to shoplift a package of gum, nothing too interesting went on at the shack. Which is the way the twins liked it- more time at the shack meant more time to spend with their Grunkles.

Soos and Melody, however, were _still_ 'deciding' on a name for their unborn child. Melody was in her early 9th month of pregnancy. At this rate, their baby could be due at any time. They hadn't been to the doctors office in months. Dr. Lutwin seemed to be busy recently, however he had instructed the couple to give him a call at the end of the week.

Soos dialed the number on the home phone, and put his face up to it. After a few rings, the couple heard the front desk pick up.

"_Hello?_" They heard on the other side of the line.

"Hey, Dawg!" Soos greeted. "Uh, I mean, hello." He corrected, trying to sound a bit more formal. Melody just chuckled.

_"How may I help you?_" The feminine voice asked.

"Does Dr. Lutwin have any appointments?" Soos asked. "We _really_ need to see him for an appointment." He said. Melody nodded in agreement.

The line went silent for a moment as the person at the front desk accessed the schedules on the front desk's computer. After a moment of silence, the worker went back to the phone. "Yes, his schedule is packed for the next two months." The worker lady said. "Quite strange actually," She added in a mutter. "He normally only gets a few appointments per week."

Soos and Melody looked at each other and sighed. "Thanks anyway." Melody said to the worker, and gave a friendly goodbye.

Soos hung up the phone and gave a sigh. "What do we do now?" He asked, looking down at the floor as he sat on the couch.

Melody shrugged, and put a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. "We could always find another office." She suggested.

Soos then gasped. "That's it!" He exclaimed. He looked at Melody with a smile. "The other hospital accepts check-ups!" He said with a smile.

"The... other hospital?" Melody repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What other hospital?" She asked.

"Oh, there's another hospital in Gravity Falls. It's a lot bigger than the clinic since they handle more critical injuries, but they do check-ups too." Soos informed. "We could schedule an appointment there!"

"Are you sure?" Melody asked. "I mean... have you ever been there?" She asked.

Soos shook his head. "No," He admitted, "But it's an option." He said with a shrug.

Melody hummed, and smiled. "Well, I'm sure it would work." She encouraged. "Do you think we should schedule an appointment?"

Soos just nodded. "Yeah, that would be a good idea." He said. "I _really_ want to know more about the baby."

"Well, maybe a surprise wouldn't be so bad," Melody said with a shrug. "But either way, an ordinary checkup should be done."

"I just hope the baby is healthy." Soos said with a small smile. "By the way, did we... decide on a name yet?" He asked.

"Well, Violet if it's a girl." Melody said with a shrug. "We figured that one out."

"And if it's a boy?" Soos asked, "What would the name be then? Sam?" He asked in a hopeful manner.

Melody was silent for a moment as she looked down at the ground. She sighed and shrugged once more. "I don't know, Soos." She admitted, looking up at her boyfriend. "I _really_ like the name Brock." She said with a small frown.

Soos rubbed the back of his neck, biting his lip and giving a look of guilt. "I mean, it's not a bad name, I just..." He tried, not knowing how to explain. Soos didn't think Brock was a_ bad_ name, of course not, he just wasn't sure if he wanted it as the name of his child. He knew that a child's name is the job of two to decide. Melody seemed to like the name for their child- so why didn't he?

At this point, Soos began to hope for a girl so that the two wouldn't have to spend so much time looking for a good name. A name that they could decide on properly. Properly and happily.

* * *

It was nearing 1:00 in the afternoon. Bill was on the couch in Karen's apartment, fiddling with the ukulele once more. He had managed a few decent chords. He had considered playing terribly with horrid chords just so that Karen's neighbors would be annoyed with the terrible racket. However, when it came to music, Bill couldn't pass up a chance of making something good. He practiced daily- hoping to top Karen's skill of playing the instrument.

Karen, however, was curiously looking out the large window in the living room. She looked down at the parking lot, hoping to spot her fathers car. She had been standing at that window long enough to the point where Bill began to wonder if the woman had fallen asleep. His confusion ended when Karen let out a high-pitched squeal of delight, throwing her hands up into the air.

Bill cringed at the ear piercing noise and turned his head. He shot a glare towards his new girlfriend in confusion. "What gives, Karen?" He asked, setting the uke beside him and folding his arms. "Did the manager give you a refund?" He asked with an eyeroll.

"No, silly!" Karen cooed with a chuckle. "My dad's finally here!" She exclaimed with one more high pitched squeal.

Bill cringed a second time and sighed obnoxiously. "Would you _stop_ with that?" He asked with a huff. "You sound like _Mabel_." He muttered.

"Who?" Karen asked tilting her head.

Bill was quick to realize just _who_ he had mentioned. He sighed and shook his head, giving a dismissive wave of his hand. "No one." He muttered once more.

Karen was about to question further, until the sound of her doorbell rang. Her eyes widened. "He's here!" She exclaimed. "Quick, um, fix the couch!" She commanded, scrambling towards the couch and slightly moving the pillows around in hopes of giving the sitting area a perfect look before running towards the door.

She opened the front door to her apartment, a wide grin on her face. "Hi, Dad!" She shouted, waving like a crazy person.

Her dad cringed at the loud, sudden noise, and gave a small wave back. "Hello, dear." He greeted with a half-smile.

Karen looked at her fathers outfit and raised an eyebrow. "Why... why are you in your work uniform?" She asked, a faint frown on her face.

"My work is to be taken very seriously, my dear." Karen's dad responded, walking into the apartment. "There could be need to apprehend the man my group is blackmailing.

Karen hummed before shutting the door. "Still doing the whole blackmail thing, huh?" She questioned with a small chuckle.

"Yes," Karen's father responded with a nod of his head, putting his hands behind his back. "It's mandatory."

"But," Karen began hesitantly. "I thought your job was to help people." She said, running a hand through her hair. "That's what your brother did."

"Tell me, Karen." Mr. Powers began. "Am I my brother?" He questioned.

"Well, no-" Karen began, but was quickly cut off.

"Exactly!" Mr. Powers exclaimed with a glare. "My brother is a _disgrace_ to this industry, to this family! His mistake nearly cost the company a fortune!" He said, putting his hands on his hips and shaking his head in disbelief.

"What exactly did he do?" Karen questioned. When she got no response from her father, that gave her the hint that it was not to be spoken about. She cleared her throat and shrugged. "Well, speaking of family," She began, "You should meet my new boyfriend!" She said with a smile.

"Ah, yes," Mr. Powers began, "Where is this new... boyfriend of yours?" He asked, looking around the room. "Is he here?"

"Yes!" Karen responded with a grin. "Bill!" She called, looking over at the couch.

After hearing his name being called, Bill poked his head up from his spot on the couch. "What?" He asked. He looked over and noticed the man who was Karen's father. Bill's eyes widened at the man whom he quickly recognized from the interrogation, however his facial expression transformed into a smirk when he saw the horrified look on the agent's face.

Mr. Powers eyes were as wide as saucers. He knew those eyes anywhere. Those slit, black pupils didn't fool him for a split second._ T...This is my daughters boyfriend? _He asked himself in total disbelief. He was absolutely horrified-_ this_ man was officially his daughters? Besides just horror, Powers was very confused. _Wasn't this man already in a relationship?_ He questioned. _That other man at the police station that he was with... he must know information about this man. _

"Y...You!" Mr. Powers stuttered, taking a step back.

Bill smirked and nodded, walking towards the others. "Me." He confirmed, the smirk still apparent on his face. He walked over to Karen and wrapped an arm around her shoulder, causing the girl to chuckle slightly. Karen put a hand on Bill's chest, looking up at him in a loving manner and rubbing circles atop his chest. Bill, however, continued to smirk at the agent in front of him.

"K-Karen, sweetie," Mr. Powers began. "H-How long h-have you... k-known this...m-m-_man?_" He questioned, his entire body _shaking_ at the _sight_ of the demon standing before him. He found that the word 'man' was the most difficult to speak, as he wasn't sure if this being _was_ a man.

Karen shrugged at the question. "A while," She said. "We became official at the magic festival. Right honey?"

"That's right,_ carrot cake_." Bill cooed, giving the woman a quick peck on the forehead before smirking at the agent once more.

Mr. Powers put a hand in his hair. "C-Carrot cake?" He exclaimed, horrified. He could hardly _stand_ to see this _demon-like _creature address his daughter by such a nickname.

"Woah!" Bill suddenly exclaimed with a chuckle, looking over at Mr. Powers. "Calm down there! There's no carrot cake here. It's just a little nickname I came up with for your daughter!" He said with a wide grin. "You look like some sort of scared little _kid _there, _Dad!_" Bill added with a smirk.

"_D-Dad..?!_" Powers repeated. "W-why on Earth would you... _ever _call me such a thing?" He questioned, disgusted.

Bill just shrugged. "Hey, pal. Karen's considering me family, so ya' better start getting used to me as your son in unofficial law!" He said with a grin.

Mr. Powers scoffed. "Karen, dear," He began, "I believe you are making a terrible decision, putting your heart in the hands of this... this _thing_." He said, saying 'thing' as if it were some sort of disease. "This man gives me a feeling of _nothing _but horror and disgust."

Karen folded her arms. "_You know what?_ I think the two of you should just solve your childish little problems and _hug it out!_" She said in a serious tone, along with a confirming nod of her head.

"Yeah!" Bill agreed with a false smile, taking a step closer to Mr. Powers and extending his arms out wide. "Bring it in-!"

Mr. Powers was quick to take out a pistol from his belt, holding it up in front of the demon with a clear glare on his face. "Take one more step forward and I'll shoot!" He threatened.

"_Dad!_" Karen exclaimed in disbelief, putting a hand atop her head.

"_Woah_ there, buddy!" Bill said with a chuckle, putting his hands up in an innocent manner. "There's no need to overreact!"

"Don't bring that thing _near _me!" Mr. Powers commanded, looking at Karen as he spoke. "It'll take a magical _miracle_ to convince me that he's _not _a threat." He stated.

"_Magic, _you say?" Bill asked with a smirk. He held a hand out, a blue flame appearing from the palm of his hand. He looked up at Mr. Powers and gave a false smile. "How's _this_ for magic?" He asked, tilting his head to the side.

Mr. Powers gawked in disbelief and gave yet another look of horror. "I-I've seen this before..." He muttered to himself. "W-what_ are_ you?" Powers asked Bill.

"Hah! _Me?_" Bill asked, giving a mocking smirk. "A word of advice, watch your tone there with me, _pops!_" He advised.

Karen sighed at her Dad's obnoxious behavior and shook her head in disbelief. "Dad, he's a _magician_." She stated, grabbing hold of Bill's arm in a defensive manner. "There's no need to let your job get your head..."

"_Never_ date a magician!" Mr. Powers snapped with a huff. "Does this... _boyfriend_ of your even _work?_ Does he have a _job?"_ He asked, folding his arms.

"Well, _no_..," She began in a mutter, looking down at the floor. She was quick to look back up at her Dad with a smile. "He _used to_, though!" She said.

"_Used to_." Powers repeated in a mutter. "Well, a word of advice to _you_, Bill Pines, don't even _consider_ a career in the doctor industry." He said, pointing at the demon.

Bill's eyes widened, a large grin plastered along his face. "A _doctor,_ you say?" He repeated, folding his arms and humming in consideration, nodding in approval. "Ya' know, that idea doesn't sound half bad!" He said, mainly to frighten the man. Bill mentally fought to ignore the 'Pines' nickname given. He tried to get the memory of him and Ford acting as a _married couple _for a plan out of his head, to no avail.

_Does this guy even know about the 'married' part of that whole thing? _Bill asked himself. _If he did, he probably would have brought it up by now... _

Regardless of the memory coming back to get to him, Bill opted to keep the grin on his face. It was easier to keep at the pleasing sight of Mr. Powers' horrified face after Bill had shown his mocking delight with the job idea.

Karen cleared her throat in attempt to rid of the tension in the air, and put on a smile. "_So.._, who wants lunch?" She asked with a nervous laugh.

* * *

When Dipper, Mabel, and Stanford returned to the Mystery Shack, Mabel and Stan were waiting at the front door for them with large smiles on their faces, hands behind their backs.

Ford immediately questioned the stares and gave a look of unease as he shut the door. "Mind explaining what all this... staring is about?" He asked, chuckling nervously.

"Behold," Mabel began with a grin. "Probabo Picklocko!" She exclaimed as herself and Stan showed the picture framed that had been hidden behind their backs. The picture frames had multiple different colors of previous chewed gum plastered and stunk onto the canvas, creating a strange image. They were hard to explain, and there were multiple ways of looking at the pieces of art.

Dipper raised an eyebrow at the strange pieces of art. "Oh, that's... great, guys." He muttered, not sure how to react. He wrinkled his nose at the sight of a pine tree in the back of Mabel's art. That or it was a zigzag, he couldn't quite tell which.

"Grunkle Ford," Mabel began, "Where's Bill?"

Ford sighed at the question. He forgot that Mabel was yet to know the truth. "Well," Ford began. "Why don't I explain _now_ while we're all here so that it doesn't have to be repeated more than necessary." He suggested with a false smile.

"Yeah," Dipper agreed, folding his arms. "Bill doesn't deserve all this attention." He said with a roll of his eyes.

Stanley looked over at Ford and could have _sworn_ he had seen a look of unease on his brother's face. Stan raised an eyebrow as the facial expression was gone, and replaced with his brother putting his hands behind his back.

"We all know that Bill was here during the Fall and winter." Ford said, looking at the group. Everyone gave a nod of their heads, to which Ford used the cue to continue. "And a few months after Christmas, he left." Ford continued, running a hand through his hair and adjusting his glasses.

There was a long silence in the room. Everyone awkwardly stared at each other for a moment or so, until they heard a sniffle come from Mabel. Everyone turned to look at the girl, and the brunette took a step forward towards Ford. "He..," Mabel began, tears about to stream down her cheeks. "He's _dead?_" She asked, the tears running down her face. She shook her head in disbelief and clutched Ford's arm, crying into the sleeves of his lab coat.

Ford raised an eyebrow and patted the teenager on the head. "No, Mabel. Bill is not dead." Ford assured with a small smile. _At least... I don't believe so. _Ford shook the thought out of his head and looked down at the girl.

Mabel took a step back and wiped her tears on her sweater sleeve, looking up at her Grunkle. "Then... then where is he?" She questioned.

"That I am not sure of," Ford answered, adjusting his glasses. "He's been gone for about a month now. I saw him quite recently, however I don't think he saw me. Probably for the best..." He said, muttering the last bit.

"Why do you _care_, Mabel?" Dipper asked, folding his arms. "I mean, it's a good thing that he's gone. Now Grunkle Stan and Grunkle Ford don't have to look after him anymore, and now he's not a threat."

Mabel shot a glare at her brother. "Stop saying stuff like that!" She commanded, folding her arms. "He's different now!"

"And you know that how, exactly?" Dipper shot back, clenching his fists. "You knew him for, what, a month when he was here!_ Less_ than a month!" He stated.

Stan noticed the glares and adjusted his fez. "Alright kids, that's enough-a' that. I've got some Mac'n'cheese ready on the stove. Why don't the two of ya' get some of that and then hit the hay for the night?" He advised, putting his hands on his hips.

"But Grunkle Stan!" Dipper groaned. "Can I stay up with Ford for a little while?" He asked.

Ford put his hands behind his back and looked down at his nephew. "Stan is right, Dipper. Besides, I have some things to discuss with Fiddleford." Ford stated. "As well as the testing on the journals." He added.

Dipper looked at McGucket, and Fiddleford just nodded in agreement. He was convinced that Ford was hoping to talk about the blackmail he had confessed about in the forest earlier that day. He wouldn't have much trouble speaking about the events and threats now, as he felt safe in Ford's home. The shack was a safe place for him as long as Stanford was around.

Dipper sighed, but agreed to heading off to bed early that night. Everyone went to sit at the kitchen table, each person with a plate of mac and cheese in front of them. Dipper and Mabel sat across from each other, refusing to make eye contact with each other. The adults in the room noticed the lack of conversation, as well as the anger between the twins, however no one decided to speak of it. The twins would work it out, they_ always_ did.

The twins said goodnight to their Grunkles, as well as Fiddleford, and went to the bathroom to brush their teeth. Dipper and Mabel didn't speak to each other; they didn't even_ look_ at each other.

_How could Mabel think this way?_ Dipper asked himself. He just didn't understand- what exactly did Mabel see in that demon that could have possibly changed? Bill was still Bill, he was the same demon who had begun the end of the world just last summer. Dipper didn't understand why everyone around him had come to forgive the demon. Where were their senses? Why weren't they glad that Bill was gone? Just because Bill played a good act, that didn't mean he had _truly_ changed. Dipper didn't care what other's thought about Bill; he wouldn't be fooled. He was just glad that the demon was gone. That meant things could _finally_ get back to normal.

_How could Dipper think this way?_ Mabel asked herself. How couldn't her brother see that Bill was a changed person? _Sure, Bill's had had some major slip-ups in the past, but everyone makes mistakes! _She thought. And why had Bill left? Why had he felt the need to run away in the first place? Was there something that made Bill feel the need to run away from the shack? and where was he living now? Mabel had so many questions, and very few answers. She wasn't sure how much Ford knew about the situation either. Wasn't Ford's plan from the beginning to keep Bill at the shack, away from the town?

_It's probably not my business anyway. _Mabel told herself. She just wished she would have been able to say goodbye to the demon whom she had befriended in the fall.

* * *

A few hours later, much after Mr. Powers had left, Bill was laying down on the couch with his hands behind his head, looking up at the ceiling. Pondering some thought. He had been calculating just how long and far Melody was in her pregnancy, based on the information given by Karen and by what he had been informed of himself. (Which wasn't too much.) After some thought, it surely wouldn't be too long until the child would be due.

Bill wasn't sure if Soos or Melody knew when the baby was due. Surely they would have figured that out early on. However, Bill knew that they wouldn't be getting any new information until the child was to be born. Bill and Karen had set up false doctor's appointments with the few doctors who worked at the clinic, specifically Dr. Lutwin. The false appointments were the reason for Dr. Lutwin's full schedule.

Did Bill feel bad about his actions? He couldn't lie to himself- Bill felt guilty with his actions towards an innocent couple. Bill felt bad for doing such a thing for the two, ruining the experience of their first child. It made Bill feel like a _monster_ doing so. Normally, he wouldn't mind the label, in fact he would prefer it. But this, this was something completely different. Entirely different. Bill wouldn't be doing this if he didn't feel the deep need to do so.

Bill saw Soos as a good guy. Behind all the mistakes and 'epic fails', the handyman was a kind hearted person. Soos had shown Bill nothing but kindness since finding out he had become human, and Bill felt terrible for returning the kindness in such a wicked way...

But this couple knew Ford. The young couple, especially Soos, knew Ford and saw him often when at the shack for his work shifts. Bill was doing this because of Ford- all because of Ford and his lies to him of not liking Fiddleford in a love type of way. Bill saw the loving gesture of a kiss being exchanged between the two just last month. The sight was absolutely_ sickening._ Bill scoffed to himself, and at how easily he had fallen for the man's tricks. Ford had figuratively blinded Bill with the minor displays of affection. And if it meant Bill never having to see his Stanford kiss Fiddleford again, he wouldn't mind it being literal.

Bill shook the thought of Ford being his out of his head. His Stanford was no longer _his. _That chance had dissappeared. Surely it would be impossible after Bill's wicked man probably belonged to Fiddleford now, especially after Bill had left the shack. Besides, Bill had a girlfriend who _actually _cared about him now.

Did Bill truly love Karen? Not really. The woman was kind, but clingy. Generous, but too loud and expressive to the point where it was annoying. Karen's behavior was like an off-brand version of Mabel.

Maybe if Ford ever saw Bill with Karen, it would make the man jealous. Regardless, she would be of assistance during the events of his plan.

A couple times Karen has suggested the act of sexual activity. Each time Bill had denied the offer. Sure, he was sure that it would be a good time, however he seemed to be keeping away from that specific activity for now. It was as if Bill was waiting...

_Waiting for what? _ Bill tried asking himself to no avail. He knew exactly who- er, _what _he was waiting on, even if it would be impossible. Regardless of how his heart felt deep down, he made sure his head was taking the lead, and he refused to admit any of these things or feelings to anyone.

Bill shook all of this out of his head. He opted to think about what Mr. Powers had said earlier when he had encountered him. Bill smirked at the thought of the man shaking and stuttering in fear at the sight of him. It made Bill feel more like himself, and less of the restricted meatsack he was cursed to be. By what, he still wasn't sure. Surely it was the Axolotl's doing...

Right?

Bill may never know; and how could he? He scoffed at the reminder of the events of Weirdmageddon. He had been trapped inside Stanley's mind for weeks, and had finally managed to escape, ending up in this fleshbag that now belonged to him.

But that wasn't his main focus- oh _no_. His main focus now was having his new plan go through. And it seemed as though the perfect opportunity for the rest of his plan had just come across him. Bill knew that he didn't have the college experience to become a doctor of any kind, that seemed to be the only thing stopping his plan. Bill considered the idea of posing as a doctor for the time being, however he feared that something bad would happen to the child if he were to take place in that position. Not that something bad wasn't going to happen _anyway_, but Bill needed to ensure that the child would be born_ healthy_ if he had any intention of his plan being effective.

But how?

Bill gave it a moment of thought, and the moment he thought up an idea, a wide grin plastered along his face. Bill knew that he would be making a visit to the hospital first thing in the morning, assuming Karen would drop him off there before driving to her work for her morning shift. Bill needed a type of job that would get him in the hospital as an_ employee_, but who said he had to be a _doctor? _

At this moment, Bill knew...

_This_ was a good plan.

**Oh, but is it, Bill? Is it? Hmm... **

**Okay, a recap, because this is all pretty important to what's going on. The reason Soos and Karen can't go to the clinic is because they're doctor's schedule was filled with fake appointments. Bill thinks that _Ford_ kissed _McGucket._ Which is not true, as_ Fiddleford_ was the one who kissed _Ford_ in a previous chapter. Another important detail, Soos really wants their baby to be named _Sam_ if it's a boy. Melody really wants their baby to be named _Brock_ if it's a boy. If it's a girl, they have decided on Violet. **

**If Bill knew that Fiddleford was the one who kissed Ford, do you think Bill would still be doing what he is planning? I'd love to hear your opinions ^-^ **

**New chapter should be up soon, because a lot is going to happen in this next one! **


	34. Gain One, Lose One

**A few minutes after I posted the last chapter, this story hit 5,000 views! This is a major milestone for me, as in the beginning I didn't expect anyone to really like this fic, let alone actually read it. The support from you guys is what encourages me to keep writing, especially those who have followed, favorited, and reviewed! ****:D**

**Also, the man named Tyler in this chapter is NOT Mayor Cutebiker, He isn't the "GET EM!" Guy. No, he's just a random guy****. No one we know, just some dude that will only have one appearance.**

**Probably.**

**Get ready for some MAJOR feels in this chapter! Happiness? Sadness? Joy? Grief? You'll just have to find out!** **(Also a minor sexual theme in one section. Nothing explicit, of course.)**

**I am also giving a fair warning that there are mentions of blood in this chapter. **

**Here's chapter 37 of 'Welcome Home'! **

Mabel and Dipper didn't speak to each other the next morning, save a simple _'Good morning' _to each other_. _Stanley was the first to notice the silence when the twins got breakfast in the morning as he was making coffee. A part of him wanted to check up on the twins, however he figured this was a problem they needed to figure out themselves.

As for Stanford and McGucket, they stayed up late the previous night, talking and digging deeper into the blackmail and manipulation Mr. Powers had put Fiddleford through. Speaking about the blackmail situation wasn't too challenging for McGucket, as he felt safe speaking truthfully about it in the presence of Ford. Regardless of Ford saying that he expected nothing in return, Fiddleford felt in debt to the man for kindly keeping him safely hidden in his home. Stanford was being so kind and understanding to him about the situation, and Fiddleford just wished he could repay the generosity.

Fiddleford and Ford came out of the lab and walked into the living room. They were greeted by Stanley, who was watching TV on the couch.

"Mornin', nerds." Stan greeted, taking his eyes off the TV program for no more than two seconds before drawing his eyes back to the screen. Without looking back, he added, "There's coffee in the kitchen if ya' want some."

Before the other men could say anything, they heard a loud shout come from upstairs. The three all flinched in unison and heard something being thrown against a wall in a raged manner. They heard a muffled shout that came from Mabel. _"That doesn't matter!" _She exclaimed, likely to Dipper.

The group got their answer of who the shout was directed towards when they heard a slightly deeper muffled voice with a clear voice crack shout back, _"Of course it matters!" _Followed by another object being chucked against a wall.

It was the moment when Mabel shouted, _"At least he was trying to be a good person!" _That the group knew who the twins were arguing about. Dipper had likely been ranting about Bill, whereas Mabel was attempting to defend the demon.

Ford adjusted his glasses and put his hands in his lab coat pockets. "How long do you suppose they'll keep this up?" He asked his brother, cringing at the ear piercing sound of glass shattering.

"Eh, I'm sure they'll work things out sooner or later." Stan said with a shrug. "They always do." He added before taking a sip from his coffee mug.

"Yes, but... Has it ever been been this... _Violent?" _Ford questioned.

Stan took a moment to respond. "Well..," He hesitated for another moment. "No."

Before anyone could speak another word, they heard the sound of a door slamming shut, the rough behavior shaking the lights that hung on the ceiling. It was at this moment where Ford wondered if he should interfere with the twins and their loud argument.

Fiddleford gave an awkward chuckle. "I'll... go get some'a that coffee ye' were talking about." He announced, pointing his thumb in the direction he was headed. Neither Ford nor Stan did anything to stop him. With that, the smaller man excused himself from the living room.

"Huh..." Stan muttered in a loud enough tone for Ford to overhear. "I never thought Mabel would miss that troublemaker so much." He said.

Ford could only nod in agreement, looking down at the floor.

Meanwhile, Fiddleford stood in the kitchen, reaching up to the nearest cupboard and selecting a mug. He heard the quiet sounds of footsteps entering the kitchen, along with a sniffle. McGucket turned his head in confusion at the sound and saw Mabel sitting down near the doorframe, her legs huddled up against her chest, her face filled with tears hidden in her sweater.

The sight of Mabel in this state of sadness hit Fiddleford hard in the heart. He frowned at the sight and felt as if he should try comforting the girl. Hesitantly, Fiddleford walked over to Mabel and sat down beside her. Being closer now, he heard another clear sniffle come from the girl, along with a nearly inaudible sob.

McGucket had been so silent that he wasn't sure if the girl knew his presence in the room. Just to make her aware, McGucket put a hand on the emotional teenagers shoulder. He heard a sniffle being cut off by the girl, however she kept her face buried inside her sweater.

_So this must be Sweater town. _Fiddleford thought to himself. Not knowing how to successfully comfort a thirteen year old girl, he awkwardly ran a hand through his hair with his spare hand, keeping his other hand on the girl's shoulder.

"Mabel..?" Fiddleford hesitantly addressed.

"M-Mabel's not... H-here right n-now... " She responded, trying to hold back her tears. "She-she's in...in..." She tried, however her words were replaced with a sniffle that she could no longer hold back.

Fiddleford sighed. "In Sweater town?" He finished, raising an eyebrow with a sympathetic look on his face. Mabel nodded, responding with an, _"mhm..." _Before releasing another sniffle.

"Are ye' gonna... Come _out _of Sweater town?" Fiddleford asked. Mabel shook her head and buried her hidden face against her knees. The sight of Mabel in such a bad mood was absolutely heartbreaking. What happened to the happy, energetic, positive Mabel that McGucket knew? To see the same girl sad, unmotivated, and negitive, _that _was something the man wasn't used to at all.

"Well, erm... If it's any consolation, I've been pretty scared recently." Fiddleford began, thinking that maybe if he was a bit open to the girl, she would feel better or at least relieved that she wasn't the only person hurting, or safe knowing that the older man was opting to speak about his troubles.

Mabel sniffled once more before poking her shining, tear-filled eyes out from her sweater, glancing over at the old man. "R-really..?" She asked. McGucket nodded, and the man noticed that Mabel had a true look of concern clearly visible by the look in her eyes.

"Yep, There's been people a'watchin' me these past few months." Fiddleford explained. "Do ye' know what blackmail is?" He asked.

Mabel nodded at the question. "Y-yeah..." She muttered, slowly pulling her sweater down from the bottom half of her face so that her entire face was visible. Fiddleford could see both dried up _and _fresh tear streaks on her face where the tears had fallen. She quickly wiped them away before speaking. "I've used blackmail on Dipper before." She said.

McGucket chuckled slightly at the response and took his hand off the girl's shoulder, seeing that she had finally retired from Sweater town. He adjusted his glasses before continuing. "Well, blackmail was the reason they were watchin' me. To make sure I didn't say anything about it. And to gather information about the people around me." He informed.

Mabel was rather surprised. She had never heard McGucket talk in such a calm manner. The fact that he was speaking so calmly about blackmail stumped her. However, the conversation seemed to give her a feeling of wanting to speak about what had gone on between herself and her brother.

"I just don't understand..." Mabel began with a sigh. "I don't know why Dipper can't see that Bill is a changed person. Literally..." She said.

Fiddleford nodded in an understanding manner. "I used to think the same way Dipper did about him." He said. Mabel looked at the older man as he continued, "But Ford helped me to see that he wasn't so bad after all. I guess I figured, if everyone else is gettin' used to 'im, why can't I?" He said with a shrug.

McGucket was hesitant for a moment, and he let out a sigh, looking down at the wooden floor. "But by the time I was ready to start over with Cipher, he was gone." He said with a small frown. He felt a wave of remorse hit him for being so stubborn with Bill while he was still living in the shack.

"D-Dipper says that I shouldn't be scared for Bill. That I shouldn't worry about him. But I just can't help it! He could be out there, all alone, with no one to go to." Mabel said with a sigh.

Fiddleford nodded once more. "Yea', Stanford was pretty concerned about 'im, too. Heck, he still is and it's been an entire month." He said.

"Wait, wait," Mabel began, shaking her hands slightly in confusion. "If Grunkle Ford was scared for Bill, why didn't he go looking for him? You know, to bring Bill home?"

"Well," McGucket began, "I'm guessin' he just wanted to let Bill do what he thought was best for 'im. The thing yer' uncle wants most is for 'im to be happy. So if Bill felt happier somewhere else, he wasn't gonna stop try and stop him."

"But," Mabel continued, raising an eyebrow. "Wasn't it Grunkle Ford's original plan to keep Bill at the shack, and away from the town? Didn't he want Bill to stay away from the town on his own because he was too dangerous?" She asked.

McGucket thought about the question for a bit, however he couldn't come up with a good answer. "I don't have an answer for that one, Maple bar." Fiddleford said with a shrug.

Mabel snickered at the nickname given by the old man. "Haha...Maple bar." She repeated. She looked at Fiddleford and gave him a warm, genuine smile. Fiddleford returned the smile, relieved that the girl seemed to be in a better mood. He was about to say something, until Mabel dove towards him, wrapping her arms around his neck in a hug and resting her chin atop his shoulder.

"Thanks, Fishstick." Mabel said, tightening the hug around his neck while being careful not to choke the man.

Fiddleford's mouth hung open slightly at the unusual gesture that he wasn't at _all_ used to. His hands froze in the air for a moment as he sat unsure how to react to the friendly hug. He was hesitant, but he smiled at the gesture, carefully wrapping his arms around the teenager to return the hug given.

* * *

Karen was in her room, getting ready for her morning work shift. As she did that, Bill was in the bathroom, combing his hair to make it softer. He found that soft, fluffy hair was fun to touch. Bill figured that was the reason he had always liked to mess with Ford's hair.

Bill took a liking to the outfit he had recently picked out from the Gravity Falls mall. He wore black jeans, along with a long-sleeved yellow button up shirt that was tucked slightly into his pants. Atop his button up shirt, he wore a black vest with two small pockets at the front, along with a fancy-looking black bowtie. He liked the bowtie, as it made Bill feel more like himself and less like a disgusting meatsack. To complete the look, he had a small top hat that also made him feel more like himself.

To top off the look, Bill wore the amulet under the bowtie so that it wouldn't be visible. He wanted the item to stay hidden, in case he came across a person in public that would recognize the amulet just by the sight of it.

When Bill was finished combing his hair to perfection, he walked over to Karen's room and opened the door to see her tying her apron.

"Hey, babe." Karen greeted, smiling at Bill. She looked at his outfit with her mouth hung open. She smiled and walked towards him, putting her hands on his shoulder as she eyed the outfit. "You look great!" She complimented. "You should dress like this more often." She said with a wink.

"Yeah, I guess I _do_ look pretty hot." Bill agreed with a smirk. He put his hands on her hips before speaking. "Hey, do you think you could give me a ride to the hospital before you head off to work?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Bill leaned in close by her ear and whispered. "It's beneficial to_ the plan_."

"Sure thing!" Karen said with a smile. "Just give me a minute to finish getting ready."

Bill nodded and left the room, walking down the slim hallway and walking over to the living room couch. He wasn't exactly sure why Karen was so on-board with the possession thing, especially after she had shared during their first movie night that she was frightened by those types of thing. Bill figured it was a side effect to her clinginess in the relationship. He didn't really know- nor did he care. Bill had no intention of letting his sidekick of the plan _not_ participate.

After a couple minutes of waiting, Karen was ready for work. She came out of her room and met Bill at the door, car keys in hand. She opened the apartment door and let Bill step out before locking her apartment door. With that, the couple headed to Karen's car.

"How long will this take?" Karen asked once the two got into the vehicle.

Bill shrugged at the question. "Depends on how long it takes for Soos' girlfriend to give birth. It could be a couple days, a few weeks, who knows?"

Karen hummed and nodded at the answer before starting up the car. "What if they go to a different hospital?" She questioned.

"They won't," Bill answered with a chuckle. "The clinic won't be available for a few weeks thanks to those fake appointments we set up on dear ol' Lutwin's schedule, and any other doctor facility other than the Gravity Falls Hospital isn't for another 40 miles!" He said with a snicker.

Karen smirked. "Gee, you're pretty smart!" She complimented.

Bill just laughed. "Yeah, even without my infinite knowledge, I get by." He said with a snicker.

Karen looked over at Bill in confusion. "What?"

"What?" Bill copied, looking out the window as they drove by.

It took no more than 5 minutes to reach the hospital. Karen parked the car in a parking space and gave Bill a goodbye kiss before he started towards the door. when she saw Bill enter the hospital, she left to head to work.

Bill opened the door to the hospital and saw the front desk straight across from him. He saw a man with short, brown, gelled-up hair helping a young woman with a smile. Bill saw his name tag when he walked up to the desk, the name reading, "_Tyler"__._ Bill hummed at the name.

_I don't really look like a Tyler, _Bill commented to himself. _But I guess it'll have to do. I don't see any other employees around. _

Bill waited somewhat patiently for the woman to sit down in the lobby, making sure to limit himself to no more than _three _annoyed sighs until the woman left.

Eventually, the woman thanked Tyler and sat down in the lobby to wait. Bill walked over to where the woman previously stood and leaned against the counter, an arm atop the desk.

"Hey," Bill said cooly, a seductive look on his face.

Tyler smiled, a small blush on his face at the handsome man standing before him. "H-hello. How may I help you?" He asked.

Bill smirked at the man's _already_ flushed face, which told him that his plan was working. "_Yeah,_ so here's the thing, _hot stuff_,_" _Bill continued with a mischievous look in his eyes. "I've, uh... kinda got this... _Kink _for cute guys with brown hair." He lied with a smirk.

"Oh, uh... You do?" Tyler asked, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly. Even though he tried, he couldn't get himself to look away from those gorgeously unique slit pupils.

"Uh -huhhhh!" Bill teased with a smirk, running a hand through the stranger's hair. Bill wasn't surprised when the man leaned into the touch.

"So," Bill began, adding a charming chuckle for show and staring into the man's eyes. "I, uh... I'm new here." he said with a charming smile, his eyes narrowed seductively once more. "Would ya' mind giving me... _A warm welcome?__" _He asked.

The blush grew on Tyler's face. "S-sir, this is a p-public building." He tried to no avail, regardless of his sudden wishes.

"Which makes it all the hotter." Bill said with a wink.

Bill had no need to say another word. Before either man knew it, they shoved themselves into a supplies closet with a singular illuminated lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. Bill could tell by the way that Tyler attacked his lips with his own that he didn't have much experience with kissing. Which Bill didn't mind, as he wasn't here for a make out session.

Bill grabbed the collar on the other man's shirt and began to gracefully unbutton the buttons as Tyler wrapped his arms around Bill's neck, planting kisses along it.

Bill unbuttoned Tyler's shirt with one hand, and held onto the amulet he had hidden under his bow tie with the other. The amulet shined a small blue light around the palm of his hand. The magic of the amulet made its way towards Tyler's name tag. Tyler couldn't see his name tag being snatched away, as he had his eyes closed in bliss as Bill began to run his hand atop his chest.

The name tag was removed from his shirt by the magic, and so Tyler wouldn't notice, Bill removed the other man's top garment completely, showing the stranger's bare chest. The name tag gracefully slipped into Bill's vest pocket, hidden from the man.

The moment Bill felt the name tag in his pocket, he pulled away from Tyler before anything could escalate further. "Oh, wait," Bill began. Tyler opened his eyes and tilted his head.

"Did I do something wrong?" Tyler questioned. "This is, uh... Kinda my first make out... _Ever." _He admitted.

Bill shrugged and chuckled. "I forgot, I have a girlfriend." Bill half-lied. "This one minute stand was good, though!" He said with a smirk.

"What are you saying..?" Tyler asked with a frown.

"Thanks!" Bill exclaimed with a wide grin, gripping the supplies closet's handle and swinging the door open wide. With that, Bill bolted away from the room, hoping to never see the employee again.

Bill turned the corner to another hall and grabbed the contents from his vest pocket. He grabbed the name tag and smirked, clipping it onto his vest. "Sucker!" Bill called out with a maniacal laugh.

Tyler shook his head and scoffed in disbelief. He grabbed his shirt from off the ground and slid the sleeves back over his arms. He looked down at the buttons and rebuttoned them, checking the small mirror hanging on a shelf to make sure he didn't look suspicious in any way. He looked to the side of his chest and noticed his name tag was missing. His eyes widened and he moved his hands around his chest to make sure his eyes weren't fooling him. He looked around and saw no sight of his missing nametag.

Tyler glared and clenched his fists. He ran to the door and flung it back open. _"HEY!" _He yelled, fuming in anger at how easily he had been robbed. He looked around, trying to locate the man. When Bill was no where to be seen, and was hidden out of sight, the employee tied his tie and headed off to security.

Meanwhile, Bill made his way to the front desk at the hospital, ready for _his _work shift to begin.

* * *

Soos and Melody woke up a bit later than usual that morning. The alarm clock read 9:02AM when Melody first woke up. Seeing that it was an hour later than the usual wake-up time for Soos on work days, Melody reached an arm out and gently woke the sleeping man.

Soos stirred as his eyes fluttered open. He was welcomed by the warm, smiling face of his girlfriend. He smiled back and sat up with a groan.

"Are you okay?" Melody asked, concerned.

"Yeah, I'm all good, dawg." Soos assured with a chuckle. "Hey, do you know what time it is?" He asked.

"It's 11:02, you're late for work." Melody lied, trying to hold back her smile.

Soos's eyes widened at the information. "Oh, man! Mr. Pines is gonna give me another lecture!" He exclaimed, putting his hands atop his head in fear.

Melody couldn't help it. She laughed and shook her head, placing a hand atop her boyfriend's shoulder. "I'm just teasing, Soos. It's only 9:02." She assured with a chuckle.

Soos let out a sigh of relief, placing a hand atop his chest. "Oh, man. You _really _know how to scare me!" He said with a chuckle. He tilted his head and sniffed the air, looking over at the bedroom door that was cracked open.

"No way!" Soos exclaimed with a wide grin.

"What is it?" Melody asked, putting her hand atop his in concern.

"Abuelita is making her famous scrambled eggs!" Soos said with a smile. "I know that smell _anywhere!" _

Soos quickly got out of bed and rushed over to Melody's side, carefully picking up the pregnant woman and setting her down on the floor. Melody thanked her boyfriend and walked to the door with Soos, stepping carefully when going down the stairs.

Abuelita looked over and smiled at the couple when they appeared in the kitchen. "Did you both sleep soundly?" She asked. "You slept in a bit later than usual." She said, stirring the eggs with her spatula.

"Sorry Abuelita," Soos said with a chuckle. "We stayed up late talking about the baby." He said, grabbing his hat that he had accidently left on the counter that night.

"Yes, yes," Abuelita began with a smile, "You will be good parents." She said. "Soos, would you be so kind as to get the plates? I can't reach as well as I used to."

"Of course!" Soos said with a nod of his head. Soos got three plates and handed two to the others in the room. The three all took a slice of toast and placed it atop their plates. Everyone dished up a portion of eggs, a bit still left in the pan.

Abuelita looked at Melody with a warm smile. "Go ahead and take the rest if you would like. You are eating for _two, _after all." She encouraged before placing her plate on the table. Melody smiled and took the older woman's advice, placing the rest of the eggs onto her plate and sitting down at the table with the others.

Melody took a bite of the scrambled eggs and smiled in approval. "Wow, these are really good." She praised before taking another bite.

"Yeah, thanks Abuelita!" Soos agreed with a smile. "Man, I can't wait for our baby to try these some day." He said to Melody with a chuckle.

Abuelita looked at Soos and put her hands on her lap. "Yes, about the baby..," She began rather hesitantly. "Have you decided on a name yet?" She questioned.

The room went silent for a moment. Melody and Soos looked at each other with their mouths hung open slightly. Abuelita noticed the silence and assumed she had gotten her answer.

Soos scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, and Melody cleared her throat before speaking. "Violet if it's a girl." She informed, to which Soos nodded in agreement. The couple both gave guilty smiles, awkwardly chuckling in unison.

"But what if it is a boy?" Abuelita asked.

Melody and Soos both sighed, and Soos shrugged his shoulders. "We're, uh... _still deciding." _He said, looking down at his plate.

Abuelita nodded slowly. "I do not mean to rush the two of you, but perhaps it would be a good idea to think of some _new _names after breakfast." She suggested with a shrug. She finished the last of her eggs and cleared her plate, heading over to the living room to vacuum the floor.

Soos and Melody both watched the older woman leave the kitchen. Melody gave a small hiss of pain, however it wasn't loud enough for Soos to hear.

"You know, maybe Abuelita is right." Soos said with a shrug. He looked over at Melody, who was clutching her stomach and biting her lip, letting out a cry of pain.

"M-Melody?" Soos started, holding a hand out across the small table in concern. Melody groaned as her breathing got increasingly heavy.

"Soos..." She groaned, looking up at Soos with a mix of both horror and surprise.

Soos nodded frantically, his mouth hanging open. "W-what's wrong?" He asked in deep concern.

_"...My water just broke." _

* * *

Joe knocked on Mr. Powers' office door, with an unexpected guest by his side. The shouting of Mr. Powers beckoned the two to enter his office.

Mr. Powers looked over to see both Joe _and _Fred standing there. He looked over at Fred, his worker in the past whom he had fired. Fred looked somewhat _afraid _to be in the office. But what was there to be afraid of? Fred has his hands to his sides, awkwardly waiting for his ex-boss to speak.

"Fred," Mr. Powers began with a smirk, his arms folded and feet crossed on his desk as he leaned back in his chair. "Long time no see."

"I-Indeed, sir." Fred stuttered, staring at his boss and trying to read his facial expression. It was hard to tell, however the man did not wear a look of anger, which Fred saw as a good sign.

"Where have you been?" Mr. Powers asked, tilting his head.

"At home, sir." Fred answered , putting his hands behind his back.

Mr. Powers narrowed his eyes. "Doing _what?" _He asked.

"L-Looking for a new job, sir." Fred said, scratching the back of his neck.

Mr. Powers hummed in a low tone, nodding slowly and looking away. He clicked his tongue and looked over at the man he had previously fired.

"I'll tell you what," Powers hesitantly began, standing up and putting his hands behind his back, walking over to the other man. "I am willing to give you another chance." He continued, looking Fred in the eyes.

"_What?" _Joe exclaimed, putting his hands atop his head.

Mr. Powers put a hand up in front of Joe's face. "Stay out of it." He commanded, shooting the man a warning glare. He looked back at Fred. "And _you,_" Mr. Powers continued.

Fred began nodding frantically, regardless of what the man was about to say to him. Powers smirked for a moment, and walked over to the large window.

"Fred, you're rehired. Take it or leave it." Mr. Powers said, turning his head to look back at the two. Fred had a wide grin plastered along his fce, meanwhile Joe had his mouth hung open with a horrified look on his face.

"T-Thank you, sir. I won't let you down." Fred said with a serious and firm now of his head before going back to smiling.

Joe scoffed under his breath and looked across the room at his boss. "Sir, you _can't _be considering this!" He said in complete disbelief.

Mr. Powers sent a cold glare in Joe's direction which shut the worker up in an instant. Joe's eyes got wide, and he looked down at the flooring.

"Now then, Joe," Mr. Powers began with a neutraldlook on his face. "I assume you have filled Fred in about the blackmail, correct?" He asked.

"Yes, sir." Joe lied, believing that if Fred was confused on the subject, he could get fired once more.

Fred, however, just raised an eyebrow. "...What blackmail, sir?" He asked in confusion.

Joe facepalmed and sent a glare towards the man beside him. "You _idiot!__" _He scolded. "He must have forgotten." Joe lied once more, looking up at his boss.

Mr. Powers could tell that this was a complete lie, however he decided not to call Joe on it. As much as Powers refused to admit it, he would need all the help he could get in the next step of his plan.

"I'll fill you in," Powers assured Fred. "After that, we will all discuss the plan."

* * *

"We're almost there," Soos assured, giving a quick glance towards Melody as he drove as fast as the law would allow, whilst being careful not to run over any bumps in the road. Melody was clutching her stomach, groaning in pain. She tried her best to stay quiet and strong through it to not disturb her boyfriend, however it was often times difficult as she had never gone through this feeling before.

Melody just bit her lip and nodded, trying to stiffle the groans of pain.

The moment the couple reached the hospital, Soos parked in a parking spot closest to the front. Soos looked over at his girlfriend who had her eyes shut as she tried slowing her breathing.

Soos unbuckled his seat belt and looked over at Melody for a moment before getting out of the car. Soos shut the car door and rushed to Melody's side, grabbing her from out of the car and picking her up.

Melody gasped in surprise, and wrapped her arms around Soos' neck to keep herself from falling from his grasp. Soos kicked the door shut with his leg and ran across the parking lot.

Melody hissed in pain and groaned. "_Ah, _careful!" She told Soos, biting her lip.

"Sorry, sorry!" Soos apologized, slowing his pace down into a speed walk. Melody sighed in relief and rested her head atop Soos' shoulder.

Soos pushed the door open with his back, entering the hospital sideways so he could get inside with his girlfriend in his arms.

"Uhh," Soos blurted out, frantically looking around in every direction. He saw no one at the front desk and only a few people sitting in the lobby. To the side of him was a vacant wheelchair. He walked over to the transportation device and set Melody down in the chair.

Melody thanked Soos and sighed, holding a hand atop her forehead. Soos got down on one knee and took Melody's hand in his, giving her a quick peck on the cheek. "It's gonna be okay." Soos assured with a nod of his head.

Melody looked at her boyfriend and gave him a warm smile before hising in pain once more.

From behind the front desk counter a familiar man overheard the couple he had been waiting for. Bill poked his head up and looked at the two. _They're here already? _He asked himself. Bill certainly wasn't complaining. With the security scanning the entire hospital for him, the sooner the child would be born, the _better. _

Bill took a quick look around at his surroundings, making sure the security was not around to bust him or take him away. Bill stood up and looked down at the items on the desk. He spotted a pair of sunglasses laying atop the desk, which he was quick to grab and place atop his face.

From what Bill had noticed, Soos was easy to fool. A minor disguise would serve its purpose enough to check the couple into a room.

Soos noticed a well dressed man at the counter and wheeled Melody over. Soos put one hand on Melody's wheelchair, and the other atop the desk.

"Hey, dude," Soos greeted in a rushed tone. "M-My girlfriend is giving birth, and we need to get her into a hospital room as soon as possible." He explained.

Bill just nodded. "Names?" He questioned.

"Oh, I'm Soos Ramirez, and this is Mel-" Soos began, but was cut off by Bill when the disguised demon put a hand out.

"Just your name'll work." Bill said, squinting his eyes at the computer in front of him and grabbing the mouse.

_Alright, Cipher. You can do this. _Bill encouraged to himself as he viewed the many tabs on the computer. He had never had training for what to do when checking a patient into a hospital. Heck, he had never even _used _a computer, save the time Soos had helped him write an email to Mabel. He hummed in a low tone as his eyes looked around the computer screen, trying to figure out how to work the thing correctly.

Suddenly, an employee was walking past glanced over at Bill and the couple. He narrowed his eyes and walked over to the desk.

"Excuse me," The man began. Bill gasped at the sound of another voice and looked up, his mouth hung open. The man didn't appear to be a security guard, however Bill couldn't risk to take his chances. The thought of making a run for it crossed his mind. He shook the thought away.

"Employees wearing sunglasses is strictly prohibited." The man said to Bill. A smile appeared on his face as he looked at the couple. "May I be of assistance to the two of you?" He asked.

"Can, uh... can we get a hospital room?" Soos asked.

The man nodded with a smile. "Absolutely. Room 13 is available, my patient just left." He informed. He turned to Bill who took off his glasses, looking down and pretending to read something on the desk so his eyes couldn't be easily seen by Soos. The man chuckled at Bill and gave a reassuring smile. "I'll take it from here." He said.

"Sounds good to me." Bill muttered, glancing over at the computer gizmo. He let out a sigh and looked over at the three who made their way to the mentioned hospital room.

A wave of guilt passed by Bill; he cursed his human form for making him feel guilt. Or any other emotions that may interrupt his plan. He looked to the right and saw a woman walking in the hospital with roses. He smirked and walked over to the lady, tipping his top hat.

"Good afternoon." Bill greeted the lady. He looked at the roses. "Hey, mind if I take a couple of these?" He asked.

"Well, actually-" The woman began, but didn't have the chance to finish her sentence when Bill plucked two roses out of the bouquet. "Hey!" The woman exclaimed with a glare.

"Thanks lady!" Bill thanked, and ran back to hide under the front desk. The woman watched the man jump over the counter, knocking the computer on its side. The woman rolled her eyes and huffed, deciding not to get into an argument with an employee.

Bill tucked his legs in so that they couldn't be seen under the desk. He looked at the two red roses in his hand and brought the flowers up to his nose to smell the scent. He smiled in approval and examined the roses further. They were dark red- no, more of a maroon color. The petals color reminded Bill of the maroon turtleneck Ford often wore. Sweet and yet sour. Calming and yet bold. Bill noticed that the color maroon had some similar features that related to Ford himself.

Bill set one rose on his lap, holding the other up in front of his eyes. _This is stupid. _Bill told himself. _This doesn't work. It's just a myth. Don't get distracted. Don't do it. _Bill continued to tell himself. It seemed that his heart was winning the argument against his brain. Bill grabbed a petal from the rose with his thumb and index finger. Hesitantly, he plucked the petal off the rose, letting the singular petal fall to the marble brick flooring.

_He loves me. _

There were a thousand reasons why Bill should put the second rose down. Why he shouldn't get wrapped up in this pointless _game _with the rose petals. There were a hundred more reasons on how it could affect his long-planned-out plan. This was one more reason why he hated his human form. With its pointless human actions. And its pointless human feelings.

Regardless of what Bill's brain was ranting about, his heart was convincing him to pluck another petal. He brought his hand up to another rose petal and gently plucked it off the stem, watching as it drifted down to the floor.

_He loves me not. _

Bill bit his lip and brought his hand up to the rose once more. There were a good amount of petals left. Surely Bill had some time until the child would be born. He slowly plucked another petal off the rose.

_He loves me. _

Regardless of what his brain was telling him, Bill kept plucking the petals. He was going to pluck all the petals. Even if this game was pointless, he would still pluck the petals. Though, he couldn't bring himself to the conclusion of _why._

* * *

"Soos shoulda' been here an hour ago." Stan grumbled, leaning against the vending machine in the gift shop, his eyes drawn to the clock ticking on the wall. "I can't have_ two_ of my employees goin' missing."

"He's only missed work _once._" Wendy muttered, a bit of concern building up in her head for the handyman. Where was Soos? And why wasn't he at the shack?

Wendy and Stan shook the concern out of her heads as they heard the phone ringing from the living room.

"I'll go see what that's about." Stan said, turning around and walking into the living room. He walked over to the table and picked up the phone after the third ring, bringing the phone up to his ear. "Hello?"

_"Mr. Pines!"_ Stan heard from the other line. He could tell it was Soos by the voice.

"What're ya' _doin',_ Soos? You were supposed to be here an hour ago!" Stan scolded, folding his arms. "You better not be bringin' another video game freak to life." He said.

_"N-No, it's not that,"_ Soos assured. _"I had to bring Melody to the hospital. She's in labor."_ The handyman informed.

"Labor?" Stan repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Ya' didn't think to call me earlier?" He asked.

_"Sorry, Mr. Pines,"_ Soos apologized with a small chuckle. _"The time came unexpected. My first instinct was to get her to the hospital. Then we got roped into a ton of paper work."_ He said.

"Well, you're off the hook as long as ya' let me see the little squirt sometime." Stan said, rolling his eyes and giving a small smile.

_"Oh of course!"_ Soos said with a grin. _"I'm sure your grandkid will be happy to see you!" _

"Grandkid?" Stan repeated, raising an eyebrow. "What-What do ya' mean?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck.

_"Oh, well, uh..."_ Soos rambled, his eyes wide. _"I-I mean, you've always been like a father to me. I, uh... I guess it just kinda slipped out. Sorry dude."_ He said with an awkward chuckle.

Stan's mouth opened slightly at this. He_ never_ thought of the perspective Soos had of him like this. A_ father?_ That was something Stan never thought he would be called by_ anyone_. Even the word itself surprised him. The line went silent for a moment, which began to worry Soos. He feared that he had somehow offended Stan, or upset him.

_"...Mr. Pines?"_ Soos began hesitantly, a small frown on his face.

Stan shook his head frantically, blurting out a response before he worried the man. "Uh-uhm, yeah, yeah. I'm here." He said, leaning on the table with his hand. "You take care of that kid of yours, ya' hear?"

_"Definitely, dawg."_ Soos said with a nod of his head.

"And Melody." Stan added.

_"Absolutely."_ Soos responded.

"See ya'." Stan said, and hung up the phone. He didn't know any other way to end the conversation. Stan folded his arms and looked down at the carpet.

_A father..._

_Huh._

* * *

After several hesitant plucks, Bill eventually got to the last petal of the rose he held close in one hand. He grabbed the last petal and removed it from the rose. He sighed at the result of his silly rose petal game his heart had practically forced him into.

_He loves me._

No, that was impossible. The rose game couldn't _truly _predict anything that gave a legitimate fact. Bill scoffed and threw the bare rose in front of him, the discarded stem hitting the wall and resting againat the wall. He removed the other rose from his lap, placing it beside him under the desk.

Bill tucked his legs in against his chest, burying his head atop his knees and biting his lip. _Ford doesn't love me. He loves Fiddleshit._ Bill huffed and rolled his eyes. _Why do I even care? He loves Fidds, and I have a girlfriend. It shouldn't matter. None of this matters. This is all so unfair. Worst of all, Fordsy betrayed me. He made me fall for his silly act, making me think he really cared. Making me think... That __I cared. _

Meanwhile, the couple in Room 13 were both patiently waiting. Hours had passed, and Melody's process of giving birth had gone rather slow. Soos, of course, was right beside her the entire time, there to hold her hand if she needed it. Neither one of them had ever gone through something like this before, so Soos made sure to stay by his girlfriend's side in case she needed him for anything.

It wasn't until 6:18 when the process increased pain severely. Melody groaned in pain and threw her head back against the hospital bed's pillow, putting an arm over her eyes as she tried to slow her breathing. She grabbed Soos's hand and squeezed it as she let out a cry of pain and discomfort.

"It's okay," Soos assured over her sudden exclamations. "I'm here for you."

Melody nodded and hissed suddenly, moaning at the sudden jolt of pain. The concern building up in Soos increased, and he reached for the phone by the desk, still keeping Melody's hand in his. The front desk ran a few times, until Bill picked up.

_"What?"_ Bill answered, afraid it was someone random.

"Hey front desk dawg, can we get some assistance in room 13?" Soos asked, looking back at Melody who gave a groan of pain. He looked away and began to speak once more. "I-I think the baby is coming."

Bill's eyes widened at the information. He smirked and nodded, seeing the doctor who was assigned to room 13 walking past Bill and heading in the direction of said room.

_"Yeah, I'll send someone in." _Bill said.

"Thanks, dude." Soos thanked with a smile.

Bill sighed and put a hand on his forehead. Now he had to think over his second part of the plan again, before the child was born. He would take the child, call Karen to pick him up before he could be seen with the child, and they would depart to a huge, mysterious cave system Bill had discovered one day when Karen was at work. After they made it to the cave system, Bill would use his amulet to place a curse upon the child.

Bill's human feelings made him feel guilt for doing such a horrid thing to an infant, so he vowed to give the child back to the young couple. He didn't want to worry the two sick, and he had to make sure the process was done as soon as possible to ensure that Soos and Melody would not call the police. Or security, for that matter.

The doctor who Bill had seen walk in the direction of the hospital room Soos and Melody were located in entered said hospital room. Soos sighed in relief at the sight of the doctor and gave a small wave. "Thanks for coming back, dawg." He said.

"It's my job." The man said, walking over to Melody at the sight of her in severe pain. His eyes widened and he reached for his clip board. "Oh dear, it seems that she is going through the process earlier than expected. "He muttered to himself, quickly jotting something down on his clipboard with a pen.

"Earlier?" Soos repeated in confusion. "How did you know what time the baby would be born?" He questioned.

"Based on the paperwork the two of you had filled out, I was able to make an estimation. During the process I had also reached Dr. Lutwin, the doctor from the clinic you had told me about." He continued, pointing to a paper on the table beside Melody. "I wrote down some beneficial information while I could."

Soos nodded, and looked at Melody, who squinted her eyes shut. He looked back at the doctor. "Is she gonna be okay?" He asked in concern.

"Oh yes," The doctor assured. "I don't see how anything could go _wrong,_ here." He said with a shrug. "I'm sure everything will be just fine. Just let me assist in any way I can." He said. "It seems that she will need it."

Melody hissed in sudden pain and held Soos's hand with a rougher grip. She alerted the doctor of the situation. The doctor understood, and knew that this was the time of birth. He gave instructions to Melody before calling in a nurse to assist. About a minute later, a young female nurse with short brown, curly hair stepped inside the hospital room to assist the woman in pain.

Soos was beside her the entire time. Cries of pain coming from his girlfriend were audible. Melody tried to stifle them, however she could hardly keep them in at the stabbing feeling of the child emerging from her stomach. Melody but her lip and groaned, tilting her head back so it lay against the pillow, her hands shaking.

"You're doing good, Ma'am." The nurse said. "It shouldn't be too much longer until-"

Melody let out a cry of pain, squinting her eyes shut as the pain worsened. Soos cringed at the sudden increase of volume, and felt bad for Melody. If he could switch places with her at this moment, he would if it meant freeing her of the pain she had never experienced before. Soos sighed and gave his girlfriend a quick kiss on the back of her hand that he held. "It'll be over soon." Soos assured.

Melody just nodded, groaning at the stabbing feeling between her legs. The pain felt like torture- however she knew it would all be worth it in the end. She was doing this for her _family _now. Not just herself and Soos, but their child. The thought of family encouraged her to do something intense. She took a deep inhale of air and gave a brave push, hoping to make quick progress to get the pain over with.

She half-regretted the descision when she exclaimed in pain once more. Though she felt the child making progress from her stomach, she felt a large amount of blood flow leave her- not just the average amount she had become used to since going into labor. _No, _this was very different.

In a tired manner, she motioned her hand over to the small desk beside Soos. Atop it was a light orange cloth about the size of a paper napkin. Soos was quick to understand that the woman wished to take the object, so he grabbed it in his hands, giving it to his girlfriend.

Melody thanked him and hissed in pain, taking another deep inhale and pushing once more. She brought the cloth up to her mouth as she groaned intensively, feeling more unexpected blood flow. She felt herself becoming weak. Her vision went blurry, but she wouldn't give up. She forced her eyes to stay open, regardless of the sudden dizziness rushing through her. Melody kept the cloth by her mouth.

"Ma'am, are you alright?" The nurse asked. "You seem dizzy, and-" She began, and took a quick look at the progress made of the delivery. The nurse gasped in horror at the sight of blood gushing out of Melody.

"W-What's wrong?" Soos asked in concern. "Is she okay?"

"She's going to need assistance with delivering the child," The nurse informed. "She is rapidly losing blood to the point where it is beginning to flow. We need to get her through this as soon as possible." She hurriedly explained.

The nurse alerted the doctor of the situation. The doctor jotted down a few notes on his clipboard, and folded his arms in concern.

"Do what you must." The doctor said. The nurse nodded and walked over to Melody's legs. She gave the pregnant woman the okay to push once more. Melody exclaimed in pain and tightened her hold on Soos' hand.

Fear and concern were both rushing through Soos' head. What was going on? What was going _wrong? _Why was this happening to Melody? Labor didn't _normally _happen this way, right? The doctor had assured him that Melody would be just fine, so why did this all seem so frantic and _tragic?_ He bit his lip and sighed, hoping that everything would be okay.

Melody cringed as she gave one more push, her eyes wide as saucers as she let out one final intense cry of pain before feeling yet another wave of dizziness. Melody sighed in relief as her head hit the pillow now that the pain had finally ceased.

Melody's breathing was heavy, and her eyes began to flutter shut.

The nurse removed the child from its mothers cord and cleaned the child. She put the child in a diaper and wrapped them in a small, cofortable blanket. She walked over to the hospital bed with a smile as she handed the child to Melody.

"Congratulations, it's a-" The nurse began, but was cut off by Soos when he put a hand up.

"We were thinking, and we were hoping the gender could be a surprise." Soos said with an awkward chuckle.

The nurse nodded and gave the child to a tired Melody, who was still losing blood. Melody and Soos smiled at the child, and Melody held the baby close.

All of a sudden, a machine recording Melody's heartbeat began to decrease its noise-making. Soos noticed this and looked at the machine, the heartbeat recorder making a beep every four to five seconds. A _dangerously low _consistancy.

Melody and Soos locked lips for a moment before Melody smiled at the child. She looked into the diaper and gave a sigh, along with a smile.

"It's..," Melody began, her voice staying as an exhausted and quiet tone. After her massively unnatural amount of blood loss, along with the basic exhaustion after pregnancy, she found it hard to speak.

Melody looked up at Soos with a teary smile, having just enough energy to speak her last three words. "_It's a boy." _She informed. Melody let out a silent sigh of air as she closed her eyes for the final time.

Soos gasped and gave a warm smile at the news, until looking at the state of Melody and remembering that the machine was nearly _dead silent. _He looked at the machine with wide eyes, as it displayed her heart rate hardly being able to pound.

The doctor and nurse both rushed over to Melody. "We're losing her!" The doctor alerted. "We will need to transport blood immediately." He said. "Her blood type information is on the desk, and-" he continued, until a loud, repetitive sound coming from the heart rate machine became audible.

Soos looked at Melody with a tear forming. "M-Melody?" He asked aloud to no avail when he recieved no response in return. Tears blurred his vision at the sight of his girlfriend. The machine said her heart wasn't beating. But was she completely dead? Soos wasn't sure, but he had one final thing he wanted to test before jumping to the conclusion that Melody _was, truly _dead. Soos leaned over slightly and tried checking Melody a few different times for a pulse.

_Nothing._

Soos' eyes widened at the sight of his girlfriend. He looked at the child, his _son, _wrapped in his mothers embrace. Soos became worried for the future. What was he supposed to say when one day, his son asked, "Why did Mommy die?" Or, "Where is mommy?" These were both questions that would be hard to talk about, or answer.

_Aw man, I can't do this alone! _Soos thought to himself. Soos took hold of the newborn baby and held him close in his arms. _I can't take care of him all on my own! Raising a kid is a hard enough job, even with another person. Do I have the skill to take on parenting all by myself?_

Soos sighed as a tear fell down his cheek. He took the idea of giving the newborn to an adoption center to consideration. He didn't want to get rid of the child, however he was afrid that he wouldn't be the parent his son deserved.

_Have you lost your mind, dawg? _Soos scolded himself._ You grew up without a dad, do you really want to do the same thing to your son?_

Soos let out another sigh. He _refused_ to abandon the child. He _refused_ to give him the feeling of not having a dad. Growing up without a mother would be tough enough for his child. Soos mentally vowed to take care of his son in the best way he knew how. Regardless of the struggles he would face, Soos would take care of and protect this child with his life. After all the struggle and pain Melody had gone through to give birth to the child, Soos could only repay the bravery by taking the challenge of parenting. It's what Melody would have wanted.

He looked over at the hospital employees who were desperately trying to keep Melody going, to bring her back to consciousness before it would be too late. Multiple doctors had come in to assist since the tragic situation began.

A female doctor walked up to Soos with a scowl. "Sir, this is a tragic procedure, and I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She said with a glare, pointing towards the door.

"Negative," The nurse said, shaking her head. "This is the patient's boyfriend, the child's father, for crying out loud!" She said, glaring back at the other. "If he wishes to stay in this hospital room, I forbid you from stopping him." The nurse said, putting her hands on her hips.

With a huff, the woman walked away from Soos with her nose in the air. The nurse just rolled her eyes, looking at Soos. "I apologize for her behavior." She said. She looked at the child in Soos' hands and bit her lip. "The hospital wishes for us to take a photo of Melody in the state she was in when she passed. We're going to need the child back in her arms for a moment." She informed Soos.

Soos was hesitant, but nodded. He walked back over to Melody and placed the child back in her arms, just as it were before.

The nurse thanked Soos, and looked at him. "By the way...," She began, "Did you have a name in mind for your son?" She asked.

Soos looked down at the hospital floor, remembering that they couldn't decide with a name. Melody had always wanted the name Brock if the child were to be a boy, however Soos had always hoped the name to be Sam. They had a few arguments in the past on names. It was difficult when trying to come to a decision, especially with the fact that any other names they brought up didn't seem right for them. It always came down to 'Sam' and 'Brock'. Soos_ could_ name the child Sam now, if he wanted to.

"Sir?" The nurse repeated, tilting her head. "If you need some time to decide on a name, that's okay."

Soos looked over at his son and sighed. He looked up at the nurse with a serious facial expression, adjusting his hat. "Brock." Soos said with a nod of his head. "His name is Brock."

The nurse smiled. "If you don't mind me asking, what changed your mind from Sam?" She asked.

Soos just shrugged. "Brock's not such a bad name. If... If Melody doesn't survive this, at least Brock will. I guess the name would be, like, a memorial?" He said. "Also because I saw a dude in the hallway named Sam. I guess I never realized how many people around here have that name until now. But Brock, well, I've never met a Brock." Soos said with a shrug.

The nurse's heart melted at this. She found the reason behind the name descision to be quite a nice one.

One doctor walked over to Melody and Brock with a camera. He lifted the camera up and took a couple photos of evidence of the situation. The original doctor called all the employees over to a part of the room, leaving Soos beside Melody and his son. Soos looked at Melody through eyes filled with tears, a sad smile on his face.

All of a sudden, time _stopped._

Everyone in the room froze. The employees, Soos, Brock,_ everyone_. Except, of course, the man who walked in the room.

Bill had one hand atop the amulet as it ceased the continuation of time. In his other hand, he held the other rose he had from earlier. Bill looked across the room and smirked at the sight of a newborn laying in Melody's arms. He walked over to the child and picked him up.

"My, what a lovely baby." Bill said with a smirk, holding the baby in his arms. He looked down at Melody, who didn't just look frozen by the amulet and its new time magic it possesed- no, the woman looked _dead._ Bill frowned at the sight and placed the rose that was in his hands atop her chest. He placed her hands atop the rose, and looked back at the newborn in his hands. He just hoped Soos would forgive him for this. To make up for it, Bill walked over to Melody and squeezed the amulet. A faint blue light emerged from her mouth, and made its way towards the amulet. Bill watched as the remains of the woman's soul made its way into the amulet. At the very least Melody's soul would heal enough for her to live again.

_I'll bring her back for ya' someday, Question Mark. _Bill vowed to the man in his head. He walked back to the door of the room and left, forgetting to shut it on his way out. With that, time continued on. The employees looked around in a confused manner, and shrugged the strange feeling off.

Soos held his head and looked around in confusion. "Oh man, what happened?" He questioned, mostly to himself.

"I don't think that made my migraine feel any better." One doctor groaned, clutching their head.

Soos looked over at Melody and noticed a rose being held in both her hands, the rose and her hands clasped atop her chest. He raised an eyebrow as to where the rose had come from. He quickly noticed the disappearance of the baby.

"W-Where did Brock go?" Soos asked aloud. He looked over at the nurse who walked over to him. "Where's the baby?" He asked.

The nurse shrugged. "We put the child with Melody.." She muttered, drawing her eyes towards the woman and gasping at the sight of the child gone. He looked over at the doctors and asked, "Where is the baby?"

"Where's my son?" Soos asked with a tone of panic, along with a look of fear and alarm.

One doctor looked over at the door, pointing at its state. "H-Hey!" He shouted. "I closed the door when I walked in, and-and I was the last person to come in!" The doctor said, folding his arms in confusion.

Soos gasped. He ran towards the door. The nurse looked at him in confusion. "Mr. Ramirez, what are you doing?" She questioned.

"Uh, I-I don't really know, but I have to go look around." Soos said, his hands atop his head. "I-I have to find Brock. I have to find my son!" He said before bolting down the hospital hallway.

**I'm sorry this chapter was so long! There was a lot I had to cram into this chapter in order for the next chapter to be in line correctly. I didn't really give the doctors names in this chapter, because I don't have a plan for them to make any other major appearances.**

**I've never seen the hospital situations that occur in this chapter for myself. After proof reading, I was afraid it wasn't as suspensful as I had originally planned.**

**After the events of this chapter, I'm sure you can understand why this chapter has the name it has. Poor Melody :c**

**New chapter will be up soon**.


	35. The Curse

**I'm sorry that the last chapter was so long, and that it may have had a bit _too much_ emotion? I'm not sure. This chapter is just as long as the last, if not longer :c I'm double-sorry that this chapter is a bit later than usual. Online schooling was being set up, so I didn't have much time to write as I figuring all of _that_ out.**

**An explanation of the magic-detecting gizmo Ford has in this chapter, if you've ever seen Rick and Morty, it looks a bit like Rick's portal gun. Same type of look, except the exterior of it is dark grey instead of white, and the green glowing thing at the top is blue. The brighter it glows, the closer and/or more powerful the magic the device detects is.**

**As a warning, Karen makes a snarky comment about a certain _someone _being "asexual" in this chapter. Please realize that I do NOT intend for this to offend anyone in ANY WAY! _Please_ don't take it personally. I actually have a friend who is asexual, and he's amazing :3. Karen just doesn't know how to take a hint that Bill isn't interested in intimacy with her. ****-_-**

**(There's also a minor use of bad language.)**

**Here is chapter 38 of "Welcome Home"!**

Bill bolted down the hospital hallway, the newborn in his arms. He wore a smirk across his face. He had done it. He had _finally _done it. After weeks of waiting, his plan was _finally_ going somewhere.

As he ran past a hospital room, a security guard recognized him. _"Hey!"_ The security man exclaimed. Bill noticed the exclamation and knew it had been directed towards him. Bill looked around as he continued forward and saw a large rack of hospital supplies. He hurried over to the supply rack and hid behind it, watching as the security man flew past him.

Bill snickered. _Yeesh__, what an idiot. _He thought to himself. _Either I'm a master of stealth, or this hospital needs to up its security game!_

Bill looked down at the newborn in his arms. The child looked as if he were about to cry. A feeling of panic washed over him. _Crap, what do I do now? _He asked himself. Bill bit his lip and figuratively cursed himself for not learning how to comfort a baby beforehand. In the heat of the moment, Bill took his thumb and shoved it inside the child's mouth before the boy could throw a tantrum of some sort.

Luckily for Bill, Brock seemed satisfied with the unfamiliar object and began to suck on it. Bill cringed in disgust at the feeling of saliva and drool coating his thumb. _Disgusting. _Bill thought to himself. He made a mental note to ask Karen to pick up a couple baby toys before reaching their destination.

Bill looked over by the lobby and saw the security guard long gone. He saw this as his cue to make his escape from the hospital. Hesitantly, he stood up and walked down the rest of the hall towards the front door. He took the 'Tyler' name tag off his vest and tossed it onto the ground.

Bill looked over at the front door of the hospital and smirked at the sight of his girlfriend's car parked in the front of the hospital. He looked around him one final time before rushing out of the hospital. He held the newborn close and walked quickly to the vehicle. Bill reached his hand out a bit, whilst being careful not to drop the child. As he kept the baby close, opening the car door was a challenge. He glared at the car's handle and tried using his elbow to open the door. When this plan didn't work, Bill grew frustrated.

Karen watched from the inside of the car and began laughing. She shook her head as she snickered, leaning over and opening the door from the inside. Bill noticed the laughter and rolled his eyes, however he sat down in the passengers seat, shutting the car door before buckling his seatbelt.

"You're ridiculous." Karen said with a snicker.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Yeah, yeah, laugh it off." He muttered. He looked at Brock, then back at Karen. "Do we have, like, a car seat for the little meatsack?" He asked, tilting his head.

Karen raised an eyebrow, confused as to what he had meant by 'meatsack'. She chuckled awkwardly. "Uh, do you mean the baby?" She questioned.

"Yeah," Bill confirmed. "Baby, meatsack, call it what you want." He said with a shrug.

"Does it have a name?" Karen asked.

Bill shrugged at the question. "Not sure," He answered. He looked down at the child, who looked back at him. Bill smirked at the baby and nodded slowly as he thought for a name. "You know, I think I'll call _you... _Timmy!" He said with a wide grin, looking at Karen. "Isn't that a good name?" He asked, putting the baby up in front of the woman so the child's face was close to hers. "Here, take the kid, Karen!"

Karen nodded slowly with an awkward smile, and slowly pushed the child back towards Bill. "Yeah, it's a great name!" She said, once the child wasn't right in front of her face.

"Alright, Alright," Bill began, placing Brock atop his lap. "Back to my original question. Do we have a seat for this kid or not?" He asked.

Karen bit her lip and drew her eyes to the car's floor. "...No." She muttered.

Bill just shrugged. "Well, that doesn't matter." He assured, "_...Probably._" He finished with a shrug, looking away with a grin.

After a moment, Karen narrowed her eyes, looking into the hospital. "Hey, babe?" She began, a look of worry apparent on her face.

Bill was leaning back in his car seat, eyes closed with his hands behind his head. He cringed slightly at the nickname given by Karen, however went back to his chilled-out facial expression. "Hm?" He muttered, not bothering to open his eyes. He felt a warm liquid seeping through his black jeans. Brock was face down on his thighs, and Bill hadn't noticed the baby drooling until the disgusting liquid hit his skin.

Bill's mind was taken away from the thought of the gross baby substance when Karen hummed in a tone of panic. "I-I see some security guards in there, looking around," She informed. Bill opened his eyes at this, and looked out the windshield. Sure enough, the same guards who had been trying to track him down were looking around the lobby. One had been smart enough to pick up the nametag which he had previously stolen from a man.

"I-I think we should go." Karen suggested, her eyes widened in fear.

Bill nodded, raising his voice in an annoyingly loud tone as he made hand signals. "_Quick!_ Step on the gas, drive 3 o'clock, _SCRAM!_" He exclaimed, shouting to the point where Brock began to cry.

Karen was quick to obey the orders, regardless of the pain in her ear or the whining of the newborn. Bill looked down at the baby and bit his lip, he wasn't going to put his thumb in that disgusting, saliva-filled thing, so instead he just covered the child's mouth with his hand. Brock seemed confused, however his crying stopped. Bill sighed in relief and laughed when Karen took a fast turn from the parking lot of the hospital.

Soos reached the hospital's lobby and frantically looked around, seeing his child no where in sight. He looked out the glass doors of the front of the hospital and saw a car driving away faster than the speed limit, the vehicle unintentionally knocking down a garbage can as it left the hospital. Soos grew suspicious, however he hadn't had time to see the license plate.

_"Step on it_!_"_ Bill commanded with a maniacal laugh. "At this rate, those suckers'll never know what hit 'em!" He said with a snicker.

"I can't go much faster," Karen informed with a concerned tone of voice. "I'm already going ten miles over the speed limit-"

"Who _cares_ about the speed limit?" Bill asked, rolling his eyes with a wide grin. "It's not like they're gonna find us!" He said with a shrug.

Karen bit her lip, afraid that Bill was wrong about his statement. Regardless, she went faster and stepped on the gas pedal.

Bill smirked. "Next stop, _Crestfallen Cavern!_" He exclaimed with a grin. His smile faded and he spoke in a quieter tone. "Uh... after we get a couple things for little Timmy here." He said, pointing to Brock who lay atop Bill's lap.

* * *

Meanwhile at the Mystery Shack, Stanley, McGucket and Ford were in the gift shop. Dipper and Mabel were in the living room watching Tv. Wendy had just left once her work shift was over.

Stanley looked over at his brother, who was leaning against the wall behind the cash register, looking down at a gizmo in his hands. Stan had no idea what the gizmo was, so he decided to ask about it. "Hey Pointdexter," Stan began. Ford hummed in response, not bothering to look up from the object as he took a screwdriver out of a pocket in his lab coat. Stan adjusted his hat. "Whatcha' got there?" He asked.

"Oh, this?" Ford asked, putting the screwdriver back in his lab coat and looking at Stan. "This is a special device that can assist with identifying and detecting certain forms of magic." He responded with a small smile. "I used it a few times throughout my travels of the multiverse, and I was even planning on using it on the amulet." He said.

"Huh," Stan muttered, walking closer to Ford and grabbing the device. Ford started at the device being taken out of his hand, however he trusted his brother enough to not do something as senseless such as breaking it.

Stan grinned. "This thing could be on display in the gift shop." He said.

Ford quickly took it back and shook his head. "Absolutely not." He stated. "If this were to get into the wrong hands-"

"Alright, alright," Stan said, waving a hand dismissively and rolling his eyes. "Whatever, bro." He muttered.

Fiddleford looked over at the device. A wave of guilt hit him, as that was the same device Ford had shown him before Fiddleford had made the foolish decision to kiss Ford. McGucket began to wonder if _he_ was the reason Bill had left. If that were true, surely Ford wouldn't have thought so much on why he _had_ left. Fiddleford remembered the poem Bill had wrote, as had Ford. It was alarming for Fidds to think about. He wondered how Ford felt about it, however he didn't have the heart to ask about it. He knew that Ford missed Bill, and he didn't want to take his friend through a trip down memory lane.

Suddenly, the gift shop door burst open. Stanford and McGucket started and looked at the door with wide eyes at the loud intruder. Stan, however, didn't seem bothered. Ford assumed that Stan was used to this type of thing since Stan didn't bother to turn around to face the door.

"Gift shop is closed," Stan said, turning around to look at whoever was at the door with his hands on his hips. "So unless you're buyin' something over the price of two hundred bucks, get los-" He continued, however stopped at the sight of three business men at the door.

Stan's eyes widened. "Oh _crap_, it's the tax collectors!" He exclaimed. "Quick, everyone hide the Ferrets!"

"Ferrets?" Ford repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Fiddleford exclaimed in fear and jumped towards the gift shop's cashier counter and hid underneath it, tucking his legs up against his chest. Ford looked down at his friend and noticed his look of fear. This gave him the feeling that these were the men who had been blackmailing him for so long. Ford placed the magic detector down beside the cash register and put his hands behind his back, taking a defensive step closer to the door.

"I'm going to have to ask you three gentlemen to leave." Ford stated, his voice firm as he spoke. He recognized one of the men, Mr. Powers, from the interrogation he and Bill had been through months ago.

Joe smirked and shook his head. "Negative," He began. He and Mr. Powers both held up an ID, as well as a contract with print so small that one would need a magnifying glass to be able to read it properly, even up close. "We have full rights to be on this property at this time. Not to mention you forgot to flip the 'open' sign to 'closed'." He said, rolling his eyes as he added the last bit. Fred just nodded in agreement, not sure of what to do at the moment.

Mr. Powers glared at Ford, he held back the temptation to choke answers out of the man at this very moment. "Stanford Pines," He began, putting his ID away and walking towards the man to the point where they were face to face, their noses nearly touching. The two men made cold eye contact, not daring to look away from each other's eyes. They both had their hands behind their backs. They both had furrowed brows, with scowls on their faces. They both had their chins raised slightly, as if one was trying to look or feel taller than the other. Though it did very little, as the two were very similar in height. If not, the _same_ height.

"Powers," Ford addressed, staring coldly into his eyes.

"I believe I have some... _questions_ for you." Mr. Powers stated, mirroring the cold stare.

Stan noticed the ill temper feeling and awkwardly put his hands on his hips. "Yeah, yeah, congrats, Sixer. Ya' look mucho macho. Now wouldja' see what these idiots want already?" He asked in an impatient manner.

Ford heard the remark, however chose not to respond to it. Instead he narrowed his eyes at Mr. Powers. "Can I _help you?_" He asked insincerely. He had a good feeling on why the man was here. Ford _knew_ that Powers was here to ask about Fiddleford. He also knew that his bluffing wasn't good, so perhaps if he were to intimidate the agent, he would leave before asking questions. He mentally vowed to protect Fiddleford with his life.

Mr. Powers rolled his eyes. "You know _exactly_ why I'm here." He stated, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford swallowed, however kept his form and facial features firm. "Do I now?" He mused with a mocking smirk and raise of the eyebrow, along with a head tilt.

Mr. Powers growled and gripped the older man's shoulders, forcing him up against the wall with a slam. Ford cringed at the gesture and glared at Powers.

Fiddleford let out a quick audible cry of fear, however was quick to place his hand atop his own mouth before he could give his hiding position away. Stan, however, looked around frantically. _Where's the camera, where's the camera? _Stan kept asking himself.

"Alright Pines, answer this question for me." Mr. Powers commanded. Ford glared and was tempted to kick Powers away from him, however he felt the gesture was unnecessary at this time.

"Go ahead," Ford muttered with a glare. "But if you have any intention of hurting him-"

"Oh, I'll hurt him," Mr. Powers confirmed with narrowed eyes. "If you don't start talking, I'll make sure he gets every _ounce_ of what he deserves." He said.

Stan rolled his eyes from across the room. "Then give him somethin' to answer!" He said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Silence!" Mr. Powers roared, shooting a glare at Stanley. He drew his eyes back to Ford's and narrowed his eyes. "Alright, Pines, I've had enough of your stalling." He stated in a bitter tone, digging his fingernails into Ford's shoulders. Ford cringed slightly at the contact and shot a glare at the man.

"Now tell me," Powers continued, raising his voice. "Why the hell is your ex-fiance suddenly in a relationship with my _daughter?_" He questioned, his teeth clenched.

Ford suddenly became confused at the question. _Ex-fiance? Relationship? Daughter? _None of these words had anything to do with Fiddleford. So why was the agent asking such a strange question?

Ford raised an eyebrow in absolute confusion. "...Come again?" He asked.

Mr. Powers rolled his eyes. "Don't play dumb with me, you six fingered _freak._" He commanded, narrowing his eyes and sneering in disgust.

Stan glared at the statement and cracked his knuckles, balling them up into fists. "Ya' wanna _repeat that?"_ He challenged, staring Powers dead in the eyes from across the room. An argument in the gift shop he could handle. He would have no problem with letting violence slide. But insulting his brother-_ oh,_ that was heading down a path no one would _dare_ travel if knowing just what Stan would do to them without hesitation.

Powers looked over at Joe and nodding his head over at Stan. Joe understood and charged towards Stan to stop the older man before he could attack his boss. Stan, however, threw up a fist and punched the man straight across the face, and pounded him on the head, making Joe pass out and fall to the floor.

Fred gasped at the sight of Joe as he lay unconscious atop the gift shops cold, wooden floor. Stan looked over at Fred and narrowed his eyes. _Huh... I swear I've seen him before... __Pretty sure his name was Farm._

Mr. Powers looked into Ford's eyes and huffed. "That..._ demon-like_ creature. _Thing,_ I would say." He continued.

_Oh. _Ford thought to himself. _He must be talking about Bill. _

"So tell me, Pines," The agent continued, "Why is he in a relationship with my darling Karen so suddenly?" He asked.

Ford looked back at the man awkwardly. "I..._ don't know._" He admitted with a small shrug.

"You're lying." Mr. Powers stated.

Stan walked towards the group and folded his arms. He stood beside Ford, standing right beside the desk Fiddleford was currently hiding under.

"Alright, listen here, ya' assumer," Stan began, folding his arms. "My brother is a real excuse of a liar," He began.

"Stanley!" Ford hissed, looking at his brother with wide-eyes, mortification apparent on his face.

"Can it, Pointdexter," Stan commanded, pointing a finger at Ford. He looked back at Powers. "I've known him for...well..._half_ my life, and I can tell ya' that I _know_ when he's lyin' better than anyone else. He ain't lyin'." He stated, nodding his head in confirmation.

Mr. Powers scoffed. "Just because you say something doesn't make it true." He said.

"Don't believe me?" Stan asked. He gave a short chuckle. "Smart man." He praised. He went back to giving him a stern look. "If ya' don't believe me, ask this nerd down here." He said, pointing a finger towards McGucket.

Fiddleford gasped at the sight of six eyes staring down at him.

Mr. Powers gasped. "There's the little _runt!"_ He exclaimed, hardening his glare. He let go of his hold on Ford and approached the shaking man. McGucket gave a high-pitched cry of fear and came out from under the desk, standing up and scrambling towards the 'Employee's only' door. Mr. Powers proved faster and grabbed McGucket's shoulders, pinning him against the vending machine with a slam.

McGucket cringed at the pain in his shoulders as the stronger man gripped them, digging his fingers into his shoulder blades. Fiddleford tried to grab the man's shoulders in an attempt to push him away, however Mr. Powers understood the move and moved his hands up towards Fiddleford's neck, grasping it tightly. Fiddleford waved his hands helplessly by his sides as his face formed a slight shade of purple.

Ford noticed the action and glared at the man. He stood behind the agent and flipped the side of his lab coat out of the way, drawing a gun out and facing towards the man's back. He took a step forward and cocked his gun, placing the weapon up against the agent's back.

"Get your hands off him." Ford commanded in a monotone voice. Though Mr. Powers loosened his grip on the smaller man, he didn't move his hands away from Fiddleford's neck. At the observation of the agent failing to retract his hands away, Ford pressed the gun onto his back with harder pressure.

"I'll say it once more," Ford said in a lower, more threatening tone. "Get. Your hands. _off_ of him."

Hesitantly, Mr. Powers obeyed the order and took his hands away from Fiddleford's throat. Fiddleford gasped and slipped away form the man, instead running towards Ford to stand beside him. He felt safe with Ford, and he knew that he would do anything to ensure his safety.

Mr. Powers slowly turned around with his hands slightly raised. Instead of a look of fear, he wore a sly smirk. Ford was taken aback by the response of having a gun pulled on him, however he kept his facial expression firm and protective.

"Pulling a gun on an agent of the law," Mr. Powers began, his smirk still apparent. "Surely that could be feasible to become jail time, a mere fine if you're lucky." He stated.

"The act of self defense." Ford started. "Pulling a gun on another individual is legal in the act of self defense."

"En contre," Mr. Powers continued, "You clearly stated self defense. If I am not mistaken, you're protecting your little friend here. Therefor, you're helping him, not-" The agent continued, but stopped when he heard a notification on his cell phone go off. He was silent for a moment, looking around the room awkwardly before continuing once more. Before he could begin his sentence, his phone went off once more, along with a ring.

Mr. Powers scoffed and held his index finger up. "One moment." He said, looking down at the texts on his phone. The messages were texts from his daughter, Karen.

"Who is it?" Stan asked, not that he really cared, he was only asking out of curiosity.

"It's my daughter." Mr. Powers answered, reading the texts on his phone and furrowing his eyebrows in confusion and mortification at the words listed on his screen. "..What the hell...?" He muttered to himself, shaking his head in disbelief.

"What?" Stan asked.

Mr. Powers shot a glare at the older man. "What's it to _you?"_ He questioned in suspicion.

Stan was about to answer the question, until he heard the phone ringing in the living room. He sighed and made his way towards the 'employee's only' door. "I'll get it." He announced. With that, he left the room.

Mr. Powers looked down at his messages once more._ Was this real? Was his daughter honestly participating in such an act?_

**Karen: Hey Dad!**

**Karen: Turns out, I won't be able to make it to the movie night we finally scheduled out. **

**Karen: I'm going with my boyfriend and our baby to Crestfallen Cavern. Well, I think it's our baby, not sure yet. Anyway, we'll be there placing a curse on a little meat sack... whatever that means.**

**Karen: Honestly, I'm not exactly sure what's going on. Something about revenge, a kiss, and a "Sixer". Never heard of one of those, but my boyfriend talks about it a lot, so it must be pretty cool! **

Powers' mouth hung open slightly at the strange message given by his daughter. _Why would Karen go along with something as horrifying as this? _He asked himself. _That demon man. He must be doing this to her. Forcing her. Brainwashing her. That's the only explanation to this. There's no way Karen would willingly do something so insane._

Stan came back from out of the living room and walked over towards his brother and Fiddleford, a look of worry on his face. Ford noticed the look right away and put a hand atop Stan's shoulder.

"Stanley, what's wrong?" Ford asked, tilting his head.

Stan's eyes widened; he forgot he had yet to fill Ford in on the situation. "W-Well," Stan began. Ford nodded, urging him to continue. "Soos took his girlfriend to the hospital, 'cause she was givin' birth, and... she died of blood loss." Stan said, muttering the last bit. He just didn't understand- why was he feeling so terribly about all this? Sure, the news would have been unfortunate regardless, but it seemed as if the situation was now emotionally _effecting_ Stanley.

Ford's mouth opened slightly at the news. "That's horrible!" He commented in disbelief and sorrow. He didn't know the young woman _too_ well, however he couldn't imagine the pain this sudden event must have caused the young couple.

"Yeah," Stan agreed with a nod, folding his arms. "Then, uh..," Stan continued, swallowing the building lump in his throat. "The kid. They lost 'im."

Fiddleford gasped. "The child's _dead?_" He exclaimed in alarm, placing his hands atop his head.

Stan quickly shook his head, placing his hands out in front of him. "N-No, he's not dead. It's-uh, It's a boy, by the way." He muttered. "The kid went missing, and they can't find him." Stan informed.

The group looked over to the gift shop door, seeing Mabel and Dipper walk out of the living room. Dipper had his arms folded, a frown on his face, meanwhile Mabel was wiping her tears onto her sweater.

"Tell us it's not true, Grunkle Stan..." Mabel pleaded, a fresh wave of tears coating her eyelids.

Stan just sighed. He walked over to Mabel and took a knee, putting a hand on the girl's shoulder. "It is what it is, pumpkin. I'm sorry..." He muttered. Mabel's lip quivered and she shut her eyes, burying her face into Stan's shoulder as she sobbed. Stan just gave her a small pat on the back.

"Oh man, poor Soos..." Dipper muttered. He looked behind Stan to see a well-dressed business man who lay flat on his back atop the floor. "What happened to this guy?" He asked.

Stan turned his head as Mabel continued to sob on his shoulder. "He tried ta' charge at me." He responded. Dipper easily understood the situation at the sliver of information given.

Fiddleford sighed. "What kinda' _maniac_ would find a newborn child an' take it?" He questioned.

Though Stan tried to hide it, Ford could see the deep grief and sorrow in his brother's eyes. Stan had known Soos since the handyman was just a young boy. Ford could only imagine how both Soos and Stan were feeling right now.

"Excuse me," Mr. Powers began, looking up from his phone. "What was that you said?" He asked, looking at Fiddleford. McGucket looked at the agent and noticed the taller man staring at him. Fiddleford bit his lip in alarm, however was surprised when the man didn't come charging at him. The remark made sounded more like a question rather than a command.

"I-I asked what kinda' maniac would find a newborn child an' take it." McGucket answered hesitantly.

Powers gasped and looked down at his phone, rereading the messages. He looked back at the group with a firm look on his face. "I know where the child is, and who took him."

* * *

Bill and Karen were now located inside Crestfallen Cavern. The cave was very large, with many different tunnels surrounding. The couple, however, located themselves directly in the middle of the cave, location of the largest 'room'. In the middle of the strangely-large rounded cave, there was a tall rock mountain about three times Bill's height. He sat atop it with his legs criss-crossed, along with Brock who was sitting in his comfortable baby carrier-basket. Bill looked at the child with a hint of guilt on his face. Something he never would have felt if he didn't have his human emotions.

"I'm sorry, Timmy..." Bill muttered, gently messing with the short, caramel colored hair atop the baby's head. "But if it's any consolation, you won't remember this when you're older. Probably." Bill tried to reassure, however he was unaware if he could be sure.

Bill just sighed. "Don't worry about it. The curse won't be too bad..." He muttered, until he saw Brock's wide eyes, looking down at his chest. Bill raised an eyebrow when Brock began to giggle, waving his hands around and making an effort to point towards Bill's amulet. Bill looked down at the amulet and gasped when it shined a bright blue.

"Curse..." A raspy yet feminine voice called. "Remember the curse..."

Bill's mouth dropped at the sight of the fortune telling witch whom he had easily recognized from the magic festival appeared on the amulet. Bill took the amulet that hung around his neck off and looked at the blue stone.

"What cur-" Bill began, until he had remembered the deal he had made with the hand witch at the magic festival. He gasped as fear began to pierce through him.

Bill had made a curse to the hand witch saying that if she gave him the information about the amulet, as well as extra abilities, that she would get the opportunity to curse _anyone. _Well, anyone other than the one person whom Bill was allowed to save from any affects of the curse. Bill assumed that the hand witch would affect someone he knew when she mentioned the curse bit, which resulted in him saving Ford.

Bill looked over at Brock who was still giggling at the glowing stone. Bill's eyes widened and he glared down at the amulet. "You'd _better_ _not_ curse the kid." He warned with clenched teeth. He quickly realized that his statement sounded too genuine, and blurted out a response. "Uh, B-Because I'm_ already_ doing that. There's no need to give the kid two curses, right?" He asked with a cold chuckle.

"It wasn't my intention." The hand witch revealed.

"Then who _are_ you gonna curse?" Bill asked.

"I don't believe I'm entitled to say." The witch replied.

"It was worth a try." Bill said with a shrug.

Bill looked behind him and saw Karen climbing up the large rock. When Bill looked back down at the amulet below him, the hand witch's face had vanished and the stone ceased it's glowing light.

"Hey, babe." Karen greeted.

"Heya, Care-bear." Bill responded, putting the amulet back around his neck and hiding it under his bowtie. "Did ya' check around to make sure we weren't followed?" He asked.

Karen nodded at the question. "No signs of anyone. Not to mention that this is the biggest cave I've ever seen. It would take _hours _for someone to find us." She said, sitting down beside Bill.

"Perfect," Bill said with a smirk, rubbing his hands together. "Cursing this little meatsack will be a piece of cake! You really get things done faster when you're alone." He stated.

Karen nodded and placed a hand around Bill's back, using her other hand to run circles atop his clothed chest. "Speaking of being alone..." She mused with a seductive look on her face, wiggling her eyebrows slightly.

Bill looked into Karen's eyes and knew just what the woman was proposing. Karen gave Bill a quick peck on the lips before looking at him once more.

Bill stiffened. "Th-There's a kid right there." He pointed out, motioning his arm towards the newborn who was half asleep.

Karen shrugged. "We can move him." She suggested.

Bill cringed at his failed attempt to avoid intimacy. "Uh..." He muttered. "I-It would drain my power. " He lied. "No power, no cursing Tim-Tom, plan fails." He said with a fake pout of sorrow.

Karen tilted her head. "How do you know?" She asked. "You told me that you've never had sex before." She stated.

Bill shot a glare at Karen. "I just do, _okay?" _He hissed, rolling his eyes and looking away.

Karen sighed. "Come on Billy, what's holding you back?" She asked, getting up closer to her boyfriend. Bill flinched a quick look of disgust at the sudden close contact, however he opted to look away before the woman could see.

"What's holding me back doesn't concern you." Bill muttered with a frown. It quickly turned into a glare when Karen kissed the side of his neck. He clenched his fists and glared at the female. "Would you get _off me?" _He asked, rage filling in his eyes.

Karen backed off slightly and scoffed, folding her arms. "What, are you asexual or something?" She questioned, narrowing her eyes.

_"No, _and even if I _was, _why would it matter?" Bill asked. "A relationship isn't all about that kind of stuff, ya' know."

_"I know that,"_ Karen said, putting her hands on her hips. "I just can't help but feel like I'm not good enough. Is that why?" She asked.

"No." Bill stated, looking away. His blood was boiling.

"Then what's holding you back?" Karen pushed, raising her voice with a frusturated glare.

Bill's eyes flashed red for a moment, but retured back to yellow when he looked at Karen. He stood up and glared at his girlfriend. "Why do you _care_ if I'm waiting for him?" Bill spat with clenched fists. _"Huh?"_

"Him?" Karen repeated, standing up to match Bill's height and tilting her head in confusion. "Wait, does that mean you're _gay?__" _She asked with a heartbroken frown.

"_Oh, _don't be so stereotypical!" Bill exclaimed with a scoff. "I like whoever I like! _Is that such a problem?" _He shouted loud enough to the point where Brock began to cry.

Karen and Bill looked over at Brock in unison. Karen looked back at Bill and sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, Bill..." She muttered, looking away. "If you're happier with someone else, I understand."

Bill's eyes widened. He couldn't afford for Karen to leave just yet- he needed her for the plan. If Karen were to leave, then who would be there to supervise if something went wrong?

"N-No, I-It's fine," Bill started. "I'm sorry, too." He lied. However on the inside, he was raging. Even though he didn't really love Karen, he felt anger towards the woman for saying such senseless things, and acting all casual about it. Regardless, the two walked over to Brock in hopes of comforting the child.

* * *

"Are you sure we can trust this guy, Pointdexter?" Stanley asked as his brother and Mr. Powers rushed out of the gift shop.

"Fred," Mr. Powers called out.

"Yes sir?" Fred, who was standing behind Stan, asked. Stan was startled by the voice behind him. The man's sudden presence caused Stan to flinch, looking behind him and nearly tripping on his own ankle. _How long has he been standin' there? _He asked himself.

"Fetch Fred for me and carry him to the vehicle." Mr. Powers ordered. "It's more convenient than having the guy writing about us wait for Joe to get up and walk himself." He said. "Besides, I'm sure you'd like an excuse to hold him in your arms." Powers added with a smirk.

Fred's face flushed rosy red at the last comment and nodded. "O-Of course, sir." He said, and walked back into the gift shop to retrieve Joe.

Ford looked at Stan and nodded his head. "I don't have full confidence in this man, however he _did _show us the messages from that... _Techno-box _of his." He pointed out. "What better choice do we have than to go?" He asked.

Stan shrugged. "Good point." He said.

Dipper walked up to the group who were walking towards the two vehicles outside, along with Mabel who had finally stopped her tears. "We're coming too, Grunkle Stan." He stated with his hands on his hips. Mabel nodded, mirroring her brothers stance.

"Oh no, you're not." Stan said, shaking his head. "You're gonna stay here with McWhat's-it." He said.

"But-!" Dipper tried to protest until Ford put a hand up in front of Stanley's face.

"Fiddleford will be with me. I can't afford to leave him here being the only adult. The twins may come with as long as they _promise _to lay low." He said, looking over at the young twins who eagerly nodded.

"We promise!" Dipper and Mabel exclaimed in unison.

"Fine, whatever." Stan said with an eye roll, folding his arms. He turned to look at his brother. "But if the kids get hurt, so help me Ford you'll never hear the end of it." He threatened, poking Ford in the chest with his index finger.

Mr. Powers walked up to the group and put his hands behind his back. "Make it snappy, all." He stated.

"The man is right, we cannot afford to delay." Ford agreed, adjusting his glasses. "Why Bill is planning to do this is beyond me, and we must stop him before he can try anything." He stated. The group all agreed.

"You're coming with us." Mr. Powers said to Fiddleford, glaring down at him. McGucket gulped in fear.

Ford shook his head and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "Oh no he's not." He stated, staring at the agent. "He will be staying with _me."_

Mr. Powers scoffed. "What gives you the right?" He asked, folding his arms.

Ford smirked at the man. "Consent." He answered. "Come along, Fiddleford." He said to the smaller man, motioning him towards the car behind him.

Stan gave a mocking laugh directed towards the agent. "Hah!" He said, snickering. Mr. Powers glared, however decided not to make the older man less of an enemy.

With that, the group of Stan, Ford, Dipper, Mabel, and Fiddleford went in one car, whereas Mr. Powers, Joe, and Fred went in their business car.

Once the cars began driving away from the shack, they saw Soos' pickup truck drive towards the Mystery Shack at the highest speed the speed limit would allow him. Stan poked his head out of the passengers seat window as Ford slammed on the brakes.

"Soos?" Stan called out, raising an eyebrow. "What're ya' doin' here?"

The handyman quickly got out of his truck and ran up to the car, looking at Stan in the eyes, panting slightly. "Mr.. Mr. Pines! Do you know where-"

"Get back in your car and follow behind us, Soos." Ford commanded. "We know where your child is." He assured.

"Y-You know where my son is?" Soos asked, a wave of relief hitting him.

Stan nodded at the question and rolled his eyes. "You heard the nerd, get in your car and step on the gas!" He ordered, pointing over at Soos' truck. The younger man nodded and rushed back to his vehicle, opening the front door to the truck and shutting it. He turned his car around and backed up. He looked behind Stan's car and noticed a black car with well-dressed business men inside.

He opened his truck window and called out to the Pines' family. "Hey dudes, who are these dawgs?" He asked, pointing over to the agents.

Mabel rolled down her window and cupped her hands by her mouth to make her voice louder, saying, "We'll explain later!"

"Good enough for me." Soos said with a chuckle. He rolled his window back up and drove behind the Pines, the agents driving directly behind Soos. With that they got on the road. The car ride to Crestfallen Cavern wasn't too long. It only took a total of 10 minutes. The group was relieved it was rather close, however Soos had more fear in his heart than the rest. He couldn't help but wonder... were they _already_ too late?

When they were close to Crestfallen Cave, the pine trees scattered around Gravity falls ascended up a large mountain that led up to the cave. It took extra vehicle power to keep the vehicles from slipping down the thin circular path upward. This task didn't come as a challenge to Ford, for he was quite used to driving to Fiddleford's home before the other man began staying at the shack for safety reasons. Soos, however, had very little experience with tall, steep mountain drives upward, and he nearly crashed the back of his truck into Mr. Powers' vehicle a total of three times. Each time Mr. Powers honked his horn in pure annoyance, shaking his fist out the window in a threatening manner.

Mabel looked down at her feet in concern, whereas Dipper leaned on the glass of the car, looking down at the dangerous height. He just didn't understand how his family was able to fall for Bill's tricks once more. Well, this situation was sure proving him wrong. Dipper never let his guard down whenever he was encountering Bill, and he never would. This display of his 'plan' was just sick.

Mabel sighed to herself at the sight of Dipper giving an I-told-them-so look out the window. _I-I don't understand.._. _I thought Bill had changed. So why was is he doing something so evil? _Mabel asked herself. She wished she would have been allowed to see the text message Mr. Powers had received. She looked at McGucket, who sat in the middle in the back seat of the car. The old man looked lost in thought similar to Mabel, however he seemed more paranoid. She assumed it had something to do with the very person who had been blackmailing him for months being so close in range to him.

When they reached the top of the large hill, they came upon a large cave. a huge cave with a large opening. Ford parked the car over by a singular tree that was atop the hill.

"Well... here we are." Ford said, unbuckling his seat belt. The twins and McGucket all unbuckled their seatbelts, whereas Stan was able to simply step out of the vehicle. He opted to tell the others that he had 'forgotten' to buckle his seatbelt if anyone asked why he had not used the safety belt. Soos parked beside the vehicle, and Mr. Powers chose to park closer to the cave in case he had to rescue his daughter.

Everyone walked towards the cave hesitantly. Mr. Powers walked alongside Fiddleford, causing the smaller man to shudder. Ford walked on the other side of his friend and placed a hand atop his shoulder as he looked forward at the cave system they were about to enter. Fiddleford looked at the hand, then up at the other man. He gave a small smile and felt some relieving comfort at the reassuring contact.

Joe, who had awoken from his time of unconsciousness stood beside Mr. Powers. He kept a hand on his aching head after being knocked in the head by Stan. The group walked further into the dark cave, and was finally able to identify some light. A total of two tunnels came into view, each tunnel being lit by torches that were hung up on the cave's walls.

_"Two_ tunnels?" Stan groaned. "Ugh, this is gonna take longer than I thought."

"Maybe not," Ford disputed. "If we split up, we shouldn't have a problem." He said with a confirming nod of his head.

Fred gave a look of concern. "What if they both lead to dead ends?" He asked the scientist.

Ford shrugged his shoulders at the question given by the innocent man. "That would be unlikely," He began, placing his hands behind his back. "If there are only two tunnels at the entrance of the cave, there must be more beyond the path." He said, slowing waving his hand across the air.

Mabel giggled. "That sounded so poetic!" She cooed. She put one hand behind her back, and the other placed atop her chest in a fist. She lowered her voice in an attempt to sound like her uncle. _"There must be more beyond the path."_ She repeated, making a wide grin that showed off her braces when Stan laughed in a mocking manner. Mabel looked at Soos with the same smile and put a hand up. "Ayo!" She exclaimed.

The handyman noticed the girl's gesture. He gave a small smile and returned the high five. Regardless of the pain he was currently feeling, he couldn't just leave Mabel hanging. That was crossing a cool-dawg line for _sure. _

"Well," Ford began. "I believe our best option is to split into two groups. Soos, Fiddleford, Mabel, you will follow along with me. Stanley, you will go along with Powers, Fred, Joe, and Dipper." He commanded, pointing to the tunnel on the other side of the tunnel's entrance.

"Now hold on," Mr. Powers began, holding out a hand and shaking his head, his other hand on his hip. "I will not tolerate being controlled by an old man. I'm going this way." He said with a confirming nod, pointing over at Ford's group, specifically Fiddleford. McGucket gulped and gave a faint nervous chuckle.

Ford folded his arms and narrowed his eyes. "Very well." He said. "But don't try anything funny." He warned, motioning his head towards Fiddleford so the agent would understand what he meant.

"As for you, Joe and Fred," Mr. Powers began, "Keep a close eye on the other old one and the sweaty kid." He commanded, pointing over at Stan and Dipper. Fred and Joe nodded at the orders and walked over to Stan.

With that, Ford, Fiddleford, Mabel, Soos, and Mr. Powers walked into the cave on the left. That left Stan, Dipper, Joe, and Fred to travel the other.

Though the tunnels were lit by torches, the tunnels were very dim-lit. Ford looked ahead as they continued further into the tunnel and noticed a burnt out lantern. He walked over to the object and picked it up, taking a match out and swiping it against the cave wall. He brought the match up to the lantern and lit the inside, the inside of the lantern catching aflame. Ford held the lantern up as he led the group forward.

After a few more minutes of walking, Ford's group came along three _more _tunnels to choose from. The group looked at the tunnels.

Mr. Powers glared. "Who would have thought? Even _more tunnels." _He complained, folding his arms and rolling his eyes. "How far into this cave did that idiotic demon take my daughter?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

Ford's free hand that hung by his side clenched at the agent's choice of words. However, he decided not to do or say anything about it, because he knew that Bill was certainly deserving of that title at the moment. Ford felt like a fool- he _knew _he should have continued to keep his guard up and be paranoid about Bill's warnings from when he had left. Ford just wondered _why _Bill was doing all this. If he had truly changed his ways, he _wouldn't be. _

Soos looked at the tunnels and sighed, face palming with a frown. "Aw dude... I'm a terrible father for letting this happen so easily." He said, closing his eyes as a tear rolled down his cheek.

Mabel noticed the handyman's state and shook her head. She pat his arm in a reassuring manner and looked up at him. "Don't think like that, Soos." She began. "None of this is your fault. No one blames you." She assured, patting Soos on the back.

_I blame myself. _Soos thought. He pushed his opinion aside and gave the girl a small smile, as she was only trying to help. "Thanks dawg. I needed that." He said, rubbing the top of her head and looking over at Ford, who took out a dark grey gizmo, pointing it towards each one of the tunnels hesitantly.

Mr. Powers put his hands on his hips, tilting his head. "Would you mind explaining what that ridiculous thing is_?" _He asked, cringing at the serious facial expression Ford wore while using the device. Ford offered the man no answer.

The device began to beep more frequently at the third tunnel. Less at the second, and least at the first. Ford took a hesitant step toward the third stone tunnel on the right, pointing the device straight forward. The beeping continued at about the speed of the average heartbeat.

Ford hummed and looked behind him to look at the group. "This way!" He announced, descending into the cave. Soos rushed directly behind him, along with Mabel, then Fiddleford, with Powers at the back. Fiddleford shivered at the sound of Mr. Powers' quick footsteps behind him. It made Fiddleford feel as if the agent was chasing him down.

Ford looked down at the device and looked at the tiny screen, listening to the beeps the device made audible.

"Grunkle Ford, what _is _that?" Mabel asked as the group continued to rush down the cave.

"Well, to explain it in a simple manner, it's a mechanical device that can sense the presence or use of magic. It's hard to say what type of magic it's picking up now, but I'm confident that it will lead us straight to Bill." Ford explained.

Mabel sighed. "Why is he doing this, Grunkle Ford?" She asked.

"That..." Ford began, "I can't say."

Mr. Powers pushed past McGucket and ran up to Ford. He glared at the older man. "You _can't, _or you _won't?" _He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I _can't" _Ford repeated with clenched teeth. "If I did, I'm sure we all would know by now. Well, the people who are _entitled _to know, that is." He said, motioning his head towards Soos.

Powers' glare hardened. "Entitled? You wish to speak of being _entitled?__" _He roared. He grabbed Ford's shoulders and pinned him against the tunnels stone cold wall. The lantern fell to the ground, however it stayed lit rather than burning out.

Mr. Powers continued to glare at the scientist. "Must I remind you that your ex-fiance is now dating my _daughter?__" _He asked. "That little slut of yours is brainwashing my child!" He exclaimed with his teeth clenched.

Soos and Mabel both questioned the words. _Ex-fiance? _

"I will not tolerate you using foul language in front of my neice." Ford began in a low tone, returning the glare. He shoved the agent off him and picked the lantern back up from the ground. "And for your information, the marriage act was all a trick you were foolish enough to fall for." He stated.

Mr. Powers felt the strong urge to physically attack the older man, however he knew that the other man was stronger, and that the others in the tunnel would only make an attempt to defend Ford.

"I can't believe you honestly think that little device is going to work." Mr. Powers commented to Ford as the group began walking down the tunnel once more. "If you continue to believe these types of things, you'll just go down the same road my brother did last summer."

"And what path is that?" Ford asked, looking down at the device as the beeping got slightly faster.

_"Insane." _Mr. Powers answered. "Next you'll start saying how you remember nothing about the supernatural events of today, and as you live each day, you'll slowly begin to piece everything together, but no one will believe you." He said.

Ford raised an eyebrow. He wondered just how badly using the memory gun's power on all the agent's last summer effected the workers. He wondered now where Agent Powers was, as well as Agent Trigger.

Around a corner of the cave, the group noticed that the torches on the wall with ordinary orange fire ceased. Instead, the torches ahead of them were replaced with blue flame. The magic detector began beeping uncontrollably as Ford held it close to the fire.

Ford scoffed. "It was detecting the magic of the flames Bill lit." He explained. "I'm not sure if this truly is the correct way. He could be anywhere at this point. Maybe we should-" Ford continued, but stopped in the middle of his sentence when the device vibrated madly in the palm of his hand.

"What in the-?" Ford questioned, looking down at the magic detector. Across the screen, it read, _'MAGIC WAVES'_.

Soos heard a faint echoey cry that could only belong to a baby. His eyes widened at the familar sound of his son's crying.

"Brock!" Soos exclaimed. He looked at Ford. "This is definitely the right way, dawg. We have to hurry!" He said, running past the rest of the group.

Ford's eyes widened. "Soos, what in the world are you thinking?" He asked, following behind the handyman. "You don't understand, Bill could very well be capable of much more than even _I _am aware of." Ford explained. "You can't go trying to save your son alone." He said.

Soos gave a warm smile and nodded. The rest of the group followed after him. Mabel nearly tripped on her own ankle as she began to run once more, however McGucket was able to catch the girl before she could fall on her face. Mabel thanked the man and continued to follow along with the group.

* * *

"Grunkle Stan, are you sure we're going the right way?" Dipper asked, his hands in his pockets as he looked around the stone tunnel.

"Kid, I don't know if there _is _a right way." Stan admitted, holding a torch he had taken off the wall in one hand as the group continued to walk.

Fred sighed. "Hopefully we find this man soon." He commented, his legs aching from all the walking they had done so far.

Joe rolled his eyes. "Don't bother hoping. This cave is huge, surely we'll be walking for a good few hours at _least_." He said with his arms folded.

The other three groaned at Joe's negative comments in unison. Joe noticed this and scoffed. Stan just rolled his eyes. "Keep that up and I'll knock ya' out cold a _second time." _He threatened. Joe narrowed his eyes at the threat, however he chose not to speak of it.

As the group continued to walk, they noticed a blue light further down. They proceeded to walk in the direction of the strange light and grew confused when the orange fire the torches on the wall came to an end. Instead, the new torches had a blue flame.

Dipper gasped. "I recognize this fire! We're close." He said with a confirming nod of his head.

Fred smiled at the news. "That's a good sign." He commented.

Joe shot a glare towards Fred. "You're trusting the instinct of a _child, _Fred?" He asked. Apparently, Joe wasn't paying much attention as to where he was stepping. As he extended his leg out, he stepped on nothing but air. Before Joe could look where he was going, he stumbled down towards a deep, thin pit. Fred gasped at the sight of Joe about to fall to his death, and reached a hand out to save him. Fred grasped Joe's hand and lifted him back up onto the surface before Joe could be harmed.

Joe huffed. "Thanks." He muttered, tapping Fred on the shoulder before walking past him to catch up with the others.

Fred gasped. He had never been given such praise from the other man. His face flushed and he gave a smile before walking hesitantly behind the group.

* * *

"We're getting closer." Ford informed the group as they continued to run down the cave. Ahead of the tunnel was a long pit that could easily cause death to a person if they were to not be looking carefully. Soos jumped over and helped Mabel across, Ford following after. Mr. Powers was behind Fiddleford and saw the smaller man looking behind him. Mr. Powers smirked and ran up to Fiddleford, nudging the older man harshly and jumping over the pit.

Fiddleford exclaimed in fear and gasped at the sight of a pit he was falling into after being pushed. Ford turned around and gasped at the sight of his friend about to fall to his death. Ford jumped down onto the ground and extended his arm down into the pit. Fiddleford grabbed Ford's wrist just in time. Had he delayed one more second, McGucket's life would have come to an end.

Ford pulled the lightweight man up and adjusted his glasses. Fiddleford gave a warm smile. "Y-Ye' saved my life," He began, "T-Thank you."

"Don't mention it," Ford said to Fidds. He turned to Mr. Powers, and noticing that the group had stopped in their tracks, Ford placed his hands on Powers' shoulders and gave him a punch to the face. "And you," He continued, "I believe I warned you not to try anything _funny._" He reminded with his eyes narrowed.

Mabel put her hands on her hips. "Grunkle Ford!" She reminded, pointing at Soos.

Ford looked at Soos and was reminded of the task at hand. "Right." He said, taking his hands off Powers' shoulders and smacking him in the back of the head before running off with the others, Fiddleford following quickly behind. Mr. Powers groaned in pain, however ignored the throbbing in his head and followed after the group.

Stanford looked down at the device as it continued to vibrate. It was beeping continuously due to the magic blue torches Bill had lit, however the vibration from the device was detecting something different. From a distance the group could hear shouts.

_"I see somethin'!" _Fiddleford exclaimed, pointing ahead of him. "The end of the tunnel is up ahead, fellers!"

The group smiled at this and continued to run. From far away, Soos could hear the cry's of his son, and it killed him to think of what they may be doing to his child. _Being a dad really changes people._ Soos thought to himself.

When the group reached the end of the tunnel, they were shocked to see a large, circular room. Torches were hung up around the room, the flames in a pattern of orange flame and blue flame. There were different tunnels dug into many parts of the rounded stone walls.

"Do you think all the tunnels lead to the same room?" Soos asked, looking over at Ford.

"It would be safe to assume so." The scientist answered.

In the middle of the large room was a tall rock mountain. Stood atop it was the two people the group had been looking for. Soos gasped at the sight of his son floating in mid-air, supported by a source of magic. He looked to the left of his son to see Bill with one hand atop the amulet, which Soos figured was the power source. To the right stood Karen, the woman smirking.

In the heat of the moment, Soos shouted, _"HEY!" _And ran away from the tunnel, instead making his way towards the large rock.

Ford's eyes widened at the sight of the handyman bolting away from the rest of the group. He extended an arm out with a look of fear. "Soos, what are you doing?" He asked to no avail. Soos ignored the other man and rushed over to his crying son. He stayed on the ground, however, as he was afraid climbing the rock that was three times his height would be dangerous.

Ford, Mabel, McGucket, and Powers stayed over by the tunnel they had just emerged from. Mr. Powers didn't notice his daughter standing to the right of Brock, as he was mortified at the sight of what the demon was currently doing.

Mabel gasped at the sight of the familiar amulet she had delt with back in the summer. She noticed the amulet's extra power she had not known it ever possessed and felt a jolt of fear. She hid behind McGucket, making her difficult to see. Fiddleford didn't blame the girl for wanting to hide, as he was just as fear-filled as Mabel was.

Bill looked down by the tunnels after hearing Soos' call and noticed familiar faces standing by the tunnel directly in front of him, the handyman directly below him.

Bill smirked. "Well, well, well, it seems we have some company, Care-bear!" He pointed out to his girlfriend.

Karen looked over at the group and instantly tilted her head. _"Dad?"_ She called out, raising an eyebrow.

Mr. Powers gasped at the sight of his daughter standing beside the dangerous demon. "Karen, darling, get down from there!" He exclaimed, pointing down at the ground.

Bill ignored the agent and continued to speak. "I'm sorry about poor Timmy," Bill began, "I told him to cry using his inside voice." He said, his smirk still apparent.

Soos looked up at Bill and glared, his fists clenched by his sides as he gave a defensive stance. "His name is _Brock." _He stated , narrowing his eyes.

_"Really?" _Bill mused. "Huh. I'm sure Melody would have liked that name, wouldn't she?" He asked, not expecting an answer.

Soos gasped at the name of his deceased girlfriend. His bottom lip quivered slightly, however he fought the urge to cry. He needed to stay strong in front of the man, and more importantly, in front of his _son._

"And you," Bill continued, using his spare hand to point at Ford. "I see you brought your _boyfriend _along with you." He observed, narrowing his eyes.

Ford was taken aback by the statement. "Wh-?" He began, but was stopped when Bill cut off his question.

"I can tell Fiddlesticks is dressing up for ya' now." Bill said, "How _charming." _He muttered with a slight eye roll. Fiddleford bit his lip and blushed at the statement, however chose to say nothing.

Ford took a few steps forward. "Wh- Bill, what are you _talking _about?Whatever gave you this idea?" He asked, raising an eyebrow at the man above him. "He...He's not my boyfriend." Ford stated.

Bill scoffed as his glare hardened. "Don't lie to me, Sixer!" He exclaimed with a glare, his eyes turning red for a split second before returning to yellow. "In fact, if you hadn't lied to me in the first place, none of this would be happening right now!"

Ford returned the glare as he looked up at the other man. "I'm not the lying type and you know it." He stated, clenching his fists.

Mabel, who still hid behind McGucket, was confused by the strange conversation. _What are they talking about? _She questioned to herself.

Bill hummed at Ford's statement. "Maybe not, but you sure didn't have a problem with kissing him behind my back!" He said, a faint look of hurt on his face. He shook the look away and brought back his glare. _Literally. _Bill added.

Fiddleford and Ford gasped in unison. _So that's why Bill is doing all this... _Ford thought to himself. How could he have been so foolish as to not have predicted this was what Bill had assumed? He felt a bit of pity for the man knowing that Bill took what happened that day the wrong way, however he couldn't _believe _the horrible way Bill thought up for 'resolving' the issue.

BIll turned to look at Karen. "What do you say, honey, should we get this party started or _what?" _He asked. The brunette gave a grin, along with an eager nod. Bill puts his spare hand that wasn't clutching the amulet in front of him. He summoned an unfamiliar green power source emerging from his palm thanks to the amulet's extra magic.

The man looked down at Ford. "I can't believe I was stupid enough to trust you, Stanford. But I hope you're happy with the outcome of breaking my dumb little human heart." Bill said with a glare. Ford couldn't form words. What was he to do now?

The green magic formed itself into a ball in the palm of Bill's hand. Just before he could place the magic atop Brock's forehead to place the curse, Bill heard a familiar young feminine voice yell, _"Stop!"_

Bill turned to face the people below by the tunnel entrance and saw Mabel take a step forward, coming out of hiding behind Fiddleford. Bill raised an eyebrow at the presence of the girl. His mouth opened slightly in shock.

"S-Shooting star?" Bill addressed. "W-What are you doing here, kid? It's dangerous!" He stated. Bill mentally kicked himself for caring about the girl's safety. Before becoming human, he wouldn't have cared what happened to Mabel. Now, his emotions left him concerned.

Mabel ignored the question, as well as the warning, and continued to walk towards the demon. Ford gasped and put a hand out in fear of his niece getting injured. "Mabel, what are you doing?" He asked. Mabel didn't hear her uncle. Ford's face became firm, as well as his voice. "Mabel Pines, get back here this instant!" He commanded, pointing a finger down to the ground he was standing on.

Mr. Powers scoffed. "Idiot girl." He muttered, shaking his head and folding his arms.

Mabel continued to walk towards Bill. She looked up at Bill and extended her arms by her sides as she continued to walk towards him.

"Why are you doing this?" Mabel asked, looking at Bill.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the girl. "For revenge on your uncle!" He answered, shooting a glare towards Ford before looking back down at Mabel.

Mabel stood beside Soos and put her hands on her hips. "How does this solve _anything?" _She asked, tilting her head and tapping her foot, expecting an answer from the man.

Bill was stunned by the question. The green power in the palm of his hand vanished as he was lost in thought. "Uh..." He muttered.

Mabel began to tear up, sniffling before speaking. "Grunkle Ford has been worried sick about you!" She stated. "W-Whatever he did to upset you, y-you can't just do this to an innocent baby!" She said, shaking her head.

Ford watched as his niece confronted the demon. He knew that Bill wouldn't harm the girl, so he just hoped that Mabel's stunt would pay off. He wondered how Mabel had found out just _how worried_ he had felt for Bill's safety.

Bill was at a loss of words. He wasn't sure how to respond to Mabel. He huffed. "Look kid, you've got it all wrong if you think I _want _to do this." He said, frowning for a moment before giving a firm look once more.

"Well, then why don't you _stop?" _Mabel asked, folding her arms. Bill didn't respond. Mabel continued, "There _is_ good in you, Bill. Whether you admit it to yourself or not doesn't matter, because I know it in my heart. I _know _you're not as bad as you think you are." She said, placing a hand on her heart as she spoke.

Bill's jaw dropped. He frowned. "Uh, I-I..." He stuttered, his mouth failing him.

Bill's attempt to form words went on hold when Karen hissed in pain and bit her lip, placing a hand on her forehead. Everyone in the room turned to look at the woman as she groaned in pain. She gagged, falling to her knees and gasping for air. Her lungs were failing her and she found it difficult to breathe.

_The curse... _Bill thought to himself. _The hand witch chose her... _

Karen clutched her throat, mentally begging for the slightest bit of air to fill her lungs. Her wish was not granted, and instead her vision got blurry. She inched over towards the edge of the rock mountain, hoping someone was there who could help her. She reached a hand out and went tumbling down the mountain, getting small scrapes on her arms as the rock's sharp edges hit her flesh.

The woman tried to cry out, only to realize that her throat had different plans. She crashed to the ground with a loud _smack, _and managed to bring herself to lay on her back before releasing her final breath.

Mr. Powers gasped at the sight of his daughter. "Precious!" He called out. He ran towards the rock mountain and got down on his knees beside Karen.

Bill looked down at the ground in surprise. _That was fast. _He thought to himself. He heard faint laughter coming from the amulet in his hands. Bill took his hand off the amulet to look down at it. He saw the hand witch's reflection saying, "As you can tell, I've made my choice."

Mabel gasped in horror at the sight of the blue magic surrounding Brock suddenly gone. She pointed at the child and screamed in fear. "Bill, help him!"

"Huh?" Bill blurted out, confused. He noticed that both his hands rested at his sides, rather than having one on the amulet to keep Brock in the air. Bill gasped and looked over at the baby to see him begin to fall. Bill quickly took a step to the right and caught the baby in his arms before the child could be harmed.

Brock gave a look of confusion up at Bill when he had noticed he was no longer floating. Bill got a reaction from the child he never would have guessed when Brock giggled as he looked at him. Bill was surprised by the unexpected reaction, however he found himself smiling back at the child with a look of guilt.

Bill walked over to the edge of the mountain and used a dangerously high amount of magic to safely levitate himself and Brock down onto the ground. Bill felt a bit lightheaded at the amount of magic he had used, however he didn't let it bother him.

Bill held the baby in his arms and walked over to Soos. When he was face to face with Soos, he carefully handed the baby over.

"I, uh.. I believe this little meatsack belongs to you." Bill said, awkwardly looking away.

Soos gasped at the sight of his son snuggled safely in his arms once again. "I-Is he okay?" Soos asked.

Bill nodded at the question and looked back at Soos. "Yeah, it was too early in the process for anything to take much action, if any." Bill explained, however Soos looked skeptical.

Bill sighed. "But just to be sure," He began, placing two fingers up to Brock's forehead. "There's a magic revoction spell." He said.

Soos sighed. "Thanks for doing the right thing, dawg." He said. "I'm just glad he's safe."

"Well, it's a good thing you guys got here when you did..." Bill said in more of a mutter. "Sorry for worrying ya', Question Mark." He apologized, awkwardly chuckling.

Mabel looked up at Bill and jumped up, wrapping her arms around his waist for a hug. "I knew you weren't this cruel." She muttered. Bill's eyes widened at the sight of the girl hugging him after the horrible act he had just attempted to pull off.

The other group arrived in the same room from a different tunnel to the right of everyone else. Joe and Fred look over at their boss, watching as he fumed with rage.

"Sir!" Joe called out. The two other agents rushed over to Mr. Powers. They kneeled down beside Karen, only to notice she wasn't breathing. "You're upset." Joe stated.

_"Very." _Mr. Powers agreed. "I was born unable to sense or feel the emotions of sadness. Instead, I feel nothing but _anger."_

"Why?" Fred asked. He gasped and felt like kicking himself for asking such a senseless question. Luckily, Joe did that _for him. _

"That monster... _killed my daughter!" _Mr. Powers roared, glaring over at Bill.

"I did _not!_" Bill retorted with a scoff.

Mr. Powers fumed. "Oh, yes you did," He muttered before raising his voice. "And I'll get my revenge on you if it's the last thing I do."

The Pines' family all looked over at Mabel at the sound of the teenager giggling. "Haha, that rhymed." Mabel said with a snicker. She noticed all eyes on her and looked around. "Not the time?" She asked.

Stanley walked over to Ford. "What happened here? And... why is there a dead lady?" He asked.

Ford adjusted his glasses and sighed. "There will be time for an explanation later." He assured.

"Fair enough," Stan said with a shrug. He noticed Soos walking over towards the rest of the group with a child in his arms. Stan gasped. "Holy Mackerel!" He exclaimed. "Is that who I think it is?" He asked. Before he could even get an answer, he rushed over to speak with Soos.

Moments later, Mr. Powers went back into one cave with Karen in his arms, along with Joe and Fred. In the tunnel Ford's group had originally came out of, Stan and Soos walked into said tunnel as they spoke about the baby. Dipper and Mabel followed behind Stan, Mabel informing her brother on the situation that had gone down. Behind them, Fiddleford walked silently. Ford was about to walk behind Fiddleford until he heard his nickname being called by the remaining person behind him.

"Sixer," Bill called out.

Ford turned around. He offered the man eye contact and a raised eyebrow, but nothing more. Bill accepted the fact that Ford wasn't likely to be in the mood for speaking to him for a while after what he had just done. Deep down, Bill knew he deserved the cold shoulder.

"Is it true?" Bill asked.

Ford was confused by the question. Bill understood this by his facial expression.

"Were... were you _really _worried sick about me?" Bill hesitantly asked the other man.

Ford gave no response. He turned around and gave an unamused facial expression. Bill frowned at not getting an answer to the question he desperately wanted to know, however he knew that it was only fair. Ford began to walk away towards the tunnel, however just before he stepped inside, he decided to answer Bill's question.

"...Yes." Ford responded, not bothering to look back.

**Oh boy, how is Bill going to fix all of this? Well, I suppose it's a good thing that he was stopped before he could make matters worse. Again, I'm sorry that this chapter is so long, I PROMISE the next chapter won't be as long because I'm sure it gets really annoying having to either read a whole 12k word chapter at one time, or have to go back multiple times and find your spot. I'm sorry guys. **

**However, I did have a question I wanted to ask! About the whole Mr. Powers thing, and the "I'll get my revenge" situation, would anyone prefer for this _not_ to happen? Is the whole 'Mr. Powers' situation getting a bit old? Because I'm not exactly sure what I would have planned for them in the future, so if you guys think it's best to leave their story here, that wouldn't be a problem :3 Feel free to comment your opinion!**

**Do I have remorse for killing off Karen? Well... no. I've actually been planning out her death for a while now.** **Heh...**

**A Bill redemption-type chapter will be up soon! (Multiple, of course...) **


	36. Cold Shoulder Disdain

**So... I'm updating a bit earlier than usual. I guess that's a good thing. c:**

**You may have noticed that this chapter should have been chapter 39, however I took three chapters from the past (The ones that said: Part 2) And combined them into one. So that is why this story has three chapters less now. Don't worry, you didn't miss out on anything. I just wanted to make the past chapters that were less than 1,000 words a bit longer. I figured it would make this story seem a bit more put together since I used to have a habit of wanting to publish a daily chapter that consisted of less than 1,000 words. Hopefully it will look better for any new readers that may come to read this in the future. c:**

**This story is now at 200,000 words, that's crazy! I wonder if this fic will ever make it to 500,000... now _that's _a goal for sure. xD**

**Here is chapter 36 of "Welcome Home"!**

The ride back home to the Mystery Shack was a quiet one. With Ford driving, Stan sitting in the passengers seat, and the twins, McGucket, and now Bill in the back seat, there was nothing too interesting to be seen. No one dared to speak or make conversation with Bill, which the demon didn't seem to mind, as he had opted to look out the back seat's window the entirety of the way back.

Soos had taken his truck back to Abuelita's, along with his son. His heart shattered at the fate of him having to explain to his grandmother that his girlfriend had tragically passed. At the very least his grandma could give him some parenting tips and pointers for the long future ahead of him. Stan had been generous to give him some time off work to get his family situations all sorted out. Soos knew that Wendy wouldn't be too pleased with working longer shifts, so the handyman encouraged himself to get back to work as soon as possible.

Ford parked the car near the gift shop entrance as he usually did and shut off the car. Stan got out of the car first and stretched his back, groaning at the relief of the stiffness in his back being released. The others emerged from the vehicle and they all walked towards the door.

Fiddleford glanced over at Bill and noticed the man's frown. This expression he wore was one McGucket wasn't used to seeing from him. FIddleford felt guilt building up inside of him once more, as it was _his _fault all of this had happened in the first place.

Ford opened the gift shop door and held it open for the group, watching Bill with his eyes narrowed in suspicion as he walked inside. Bill noticed the stare and looked straight forward to avoid eye contact. Once everyone was in the gift shop, Ford shut the door behind him. He walked over to the vending machine, looking down at his watch and pressing a button atop it which opened the vending machine. He stepped inside and walked downstairs, the door automatically closing behind him.

Stanley let out a sigh and folded his arms. "Not even a word, huh Pointdexter?" He muttered to himself at how quick his brother had been with retiring to his laboratory.

Everyone in the gift shop save Dipper walked towards the 'Employees only' door. Dipper grabbed his sister's sweater sleeve and gently tugged to get her attention. Mabel turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"What is it, dip-dop?" Mabel asked.

"Hey Mabel, can I talk to you?" Dipper asked.

Mabel nodded and stayed in the gift shop as the others departed to the living room and kitchen. Mabel waited for everyone to leave and folded her arms as she looked back at his brother.

"What's wrong?" Mabel asked. She gasped as her eyes widened. "Did the tooth fairy finally pay her debt?" She asked with a grin.

Dipper shook his head at the question. "Not yet." He muttered, putting his hands in his pockets and looking away.

Mabel frowned. "Aw, Boo!" She exclaimed, cupping her hands by her mouth to make her voice louder than it already was before folding her arms once more.

"I was gonna ask..." Dipper began, "Why did Bill come back here instead of going along with his plan?" He asked.

"Because he felt bad about what he did." Mabel answered with a simple shrug.

Dipper scoffed at the answer. "Come on, Mabel. This is _Bill _we're talking about." He reminded. "Bill doesn't feel bad about stuff that happens, all he wants is for _others _to feel bad." He stated with an eyeroll.

Mabel narrowed her eyes. "Dipper, be considerate! At least he's making an attempt to change!" She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"You call trying to place a curse on a newborn an attempt to change?" Dipper shot back, raising an eyebrow.

Mabel sighed. "Look, bro-bro, I don't want a repeat of the other day." She said.

"Yeah, me neither." Dipper agreed in more of a mutter.

Mabel took a step back and pointed towards the 'Employees only' door. "I'm gonna go talk to Bill." She announced to her brother.

Dipper's eyes widened. "Mabel, are you crazy?" He asked.

"Maybe," Mabel admitted with a shrug, "But if no one else will talk to Bill, I will. He should at least have _his _side of the story heard." She said.

* * *

Meanwhile, Stan, Fiddleford and Bill were in the kitchen. Fiddleford was grabbing a mug from the cupboard, while Bill took a sip from his water glass at the table. Stan, however, was leaning on the fridge with his arms folded in clear annoyance.

"So let me get this straight," Stan began. Ford had filled Stan in on the majority of what had happened back when they were walking through the tunnel back to the front of the cave. Stan looked at Bill. "You took Soos' baby, went to that weird cave system with your dumb girlfriend, and used the dumb amulet you nerds had been testin' all with the dumb intention of getting 'revenge' on my brother?" He asked Bill, narrowing her eyes.

Bill cringed at Stan overusing the word 'dumb', however he pushed the thought aside and nodded, taking another sip of water.

Stan glared and growled in anger, unfolding his arms and taking a step closer to the demon. He raised an arm up and swiftly brought it close to Bill, harshly backhanding the man in the face and clenching his fists by his sides. The water Bill held in his hand dropped to the floor along with Bill himself at the pressure of the slap. Bill bit his hip. This pain wasn't hilarious, however he kept silent as to not give the other man the pleasure of hearing his cry of pain.

Fiddleford heard the noise of the sudden sound of skin smacking against other skin. He turned around and gasped in fear at the sight of Bill laying on the kitchen floor with a hand up to his face.

Stan looked down at the demon who lay on the floor. He pointed a finger down to the demon, his glare still apparent.

"Alright, you listen here ya' freak," Stan began. "Ever since you got here, my brother's been nothin' but good to ya', so don't go sayin' you're seeking revenge on him." He said, narrowing his eyes. He folded his arms. "If Ford wasn't here and this was _my_ house, you wouldn't even be here right now. So if I was you, I'd be a little more grateful." Stan said.

Bill sat up and pressed a hand gently towards his cheek, hissing at the stinging feeling. He had forgotten just _how powerful _a simple slap from the man could be.

"Now I might not hate ya', but that don't mean I like ya' hangin' around the house." Stan stated. "Don't think I can forgive ya' so fast about takin' the kid."

Fiddleford watched the exchange in shock. Sure, Stan could be voilent, however he couldn't stop but wonder just how differently the situation would have been had Ford been in the room. Surely he would protect Bill, regardless of the situation that had just been presented earlier in the day.

Bill brought himself to stand and shot a glare at Stan. He didn't bother to clean the water that has been spilt, instead he just kept a hand on his cheek as he walked out of the kitchen.

Mabel and Bill walked into the living room from different areas of the house in unison. Bill and sat atop the couch chairs' armrest. Mabel walked over to the man.

"Oh, Bill! Just the guy I wanted to talk to!" Mabel said with a smile.

"Why?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. He immediately questioned why the girl looked so happy.

Mabel shrugged and sat on the couch chair beside Bill. "Well," She began, "Because everyone should have their sides of the story heard." She said with a smile, standing up atop the chair and leaning her arm atop his shoulder.

"Why are you being so nice to me?" Bill asked, retracting his hand from his face and folding his arms instead.

Mabel looked at the large mark that was sure to bruise by morning and gasped. She sat back down on the couch and looked the demon in the eyes.

"Oh my gosh, Bill, what happened?" Mabel asked, placing her hands atop her mouth in shock.

Bill opted to laugh it off. He just chuckled and shrugged. "It's nothing, Shooting Star." He lied.

Mabel wasn't convinced. "Who did this to you?" She asked.

"Your uncle, who do ya' think?" Bill shot back with an eye roll.

Mabel squinted her eyes to get a better look at the mark. She counted the apparent finger joint marks and was relieved to see only five fingers bruising into his flesh. At the sight of the _five _fingers, she knew that she would have to give Stan yet another lesson on why violence is for bullies. Her grunkle seemed to need the third lesson of the week after nearly tackling a customer for only giving a $10.00 tip.

Mabel sighed. "Can I ask you something?" She asked.

"Fire away." Bill agreed.

Mabel nodded slowly and looked up at Bill. "What... What were you and Grunkle Ford talking about earlier?" She asked.

Bill's mouth hung open at the question he certainly wasn't expecting from the girl. Mabel noticed the hesitant response. Eventually Bill just shrugged. "It's nothing." He responded.

"_Bill,_" Mabel groaned, folding her arms. "That's what you said about your injury." She pointed out.

_This counts as an injury, doesn't it? _Bill shook the thought aside and offered the young teen a smile. "Just some stuff that happened a couple months ago." Bill said.

"Ooh, _personal _situation stuff?" Mabel asked with a look that tried to encourage Bill to continue speaking about what had happened.

"Yeah, _personal _stuff," Bill encouraged, giving the girl a small glare. "So I would _appreciate it _if you didn't try getting involved." Bill hissed with narrowed eyes.

Mabel's frowned, her eyes showed clear skepticism. She decided not to push further in to the question, as Bill had a small gleam of sadness in his own eyes. It was gone in a flash, and Mabel had to blink to be sure of what exactly she _had _seen.

Bill let out a sigh. "Look, I'm sorry, Shooting Star, I just don't know how to explain it without..." He continued, but stopped himself before he could give something he didn'want want the girl knowing away.

Mabel just nodded with a smile. "It's okay, Bill-Bill, everyone has secrets!" She said, standing up from the couch. "I'll be back, I need to go give Grunkle Stan another lecture." She said, excusing herself to the kitchen.

Mabel skipped to the kitchen and watched McGucket leave with a mug in hand, containing a warm drink. Mabel stepped into the kitchen and folded her arms, narrowing her eyes at her Grunkle.

"Grunkle _Stan," _She started in an firm tone, tapping her foot on the floor.

Stan shut the cabinet and turned to look at the girl. "What's up, pumpki-Wha-_Woah!" _He exclaimed, regretting taking a step forward and slipping on the water that had been previously spilt, collapsing to the floor.

He looked up at Mabel who looked down at him, her arms still folded. "What did we say yesterday about violence?" Mabel asked with a stern voice.

Stan sighed and folded his arms before speaking in a low, bored tone. "Violence is strictly for bullies and should only be shown in the act of self defense." He muttered, rolling his eyes as he spoke.

"That's right." Mabel said with a nod of her head.

Stan sat up. "But that jerk deserved it! No one messes with Stan Pines' employee's son!" He said, cracking his knuckles and making fists.

"Okay," Mabel began, "But what's the _better _option here?" She asked.

Stan looked at the girl with a smirk. "Dynamite!" He exclaimed, throwing a fist into the air and laughing darkly. His laugh was quickly replaced with repetitive coughs.

"Uh-uh." Mabel retorted, shaking her head in a disapproving manner.

Stan sighed and looked at the ground in defeat. "Using my..._words." _He forced out, cringing at the disturbing and unfamiliar way the three words matched together.

Mabel grinned. "Very good!" She cooed, patting the top of Stan's head with a giggle. Stan just huffed.

* * *

A few hours later, Stan and the kids were watching a movie on the Tv, Ford had yet to leave his laboratory, Bill was in the gift shop staring down at the amulet he had placed on the counter, and Fiddleford was walking towards said shop, unaware of whom he would encounter.

Fiddleford walked into the gift shop and saw Bill sitting in the chair behind the cash register. He gasped and took a quiet step back, reaching for the door behind him in an attempt to leave before the demon saw him.

Unfortunately for McGucket, Bill could tell he had entered the room without looking up from the amulet he was so focused on.

"What do you want?" Bill asked, using the amulet as an excuse not to look at the man.

Fiddleford cringed and adjusted his glasses. "Erm... Nothin' really." He said, backing up.

Bill sighed and pushed the chair away from the counter before standing up. He looked at McGucket and noticed fear in the man's eyes. It gave Bill both annoyance and relief.

"Tell me, Fidds," Bill began, putting his hands behind his back as he walked closer to the other man. McGucket gulped. He looked into Bill's eyes, shaking.

Bill scoffed at the cowardly look Fiddleford wore. "I'm not gonna hurt you." Bill assured, rolling his eyes. "I just want you to tell me something."

"A-And what would t-that be?" Fiddleford asked.

Bill put his hands on his hips and looked back at the man. "What do you see in ol' Fordsy?" He asked.

McGucket raised an eyebrow. "W-What do ye' mean?" He asked.

"What made you do what you did?" Bill asked.

Fiddleford was going to ask for more context, however he already knew what the demon was speaking of.

"Well..." Fiddleford began in a hesitant manner. "He-He's a smart man. We've known each other since our days back in college. He's aged well, a sight for sore eyes, really." He admitted.

Bill felt a wave of deja vu at the words. _Sight for sore eyes_. Bill remembered telling Ford that once. Back then he hadn't meant it in a love type of way, of course. But hearing the expression months later hit Bill hard, as if someone had chucked a hard clay brick at his heart.

"Can't argue there." Bill agreed with a sigh, looking away with his arms folded.

Fiddleford noticed the frown on the man's face and felt a wave of guilt. He put his hands in his pockets. "Listen, er... Bill..." He started. "I-I just wanted to tell ye' that I'm sorry about this. All of this." He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. (Mainly to mess with his fluffy hair, courtesy of Mabel.)

Bill looked back at the man, raising an eyebrow. "You are?" He asked. Fiddleford nodded. Bill narrowed his eyes for a moment before scoffing. "Oh please, You were just getting rid of the competition." He muttered before giving a sarcastic smirk. "Well congratulations Fiddlesticks, you did just that."

"Ford made his choice." Fiddleford interrupted before the demon continued. "After I kissed im', he told me he wasn't interested. Stanford chose_ you_, and...and I respect his choice." He said, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill was taken aback by the information. He looked at the man for a bit before shaking his head. "You're lying." He stated, putting his hands on his hips. "There's no way you just gave up." Bill said with his eyes narrowed once more, yet this time in more of a skeptical manner.

"No liar here," McGucket assured, putting his hands up slightly. "I've backed off. Ye' can go ask 'im yerself." He said with a shrug.

Bill gave a quick shake of his head along with a chuckle. "Oh_ heck no_, I don't think Sixer's gonna want _anything_ to do with _me_ for a while." He said.

"How can ye' be sure?" Fiddleford asked, tilting his head.

Bill gave the other man an unamused look. He pointed towards the vending machine beside him. "He's been in there all afternoon. He hasn't come out once." He pointed out.

"Doesn't he norm'lly do that?" McGucket asked.

Bill face palmed and huffed, groaning as his hand slowly slid down his face. He let his hands fall to his sides and sighed. "I don't feel like taking the chance." He admitted.

"I could talk to 'im for ye', if ye' want." Fiddleford offered.

Bill's eyes widened at the offer. "Really?" He asked.

Fiddleford nodded at the question. "It's only fair after makin' this big misunderstandin' between the two of ye'." He said with a shrug. "In fact, I think I know how ta' _fix_ it." He added.

"How?" Bill asked.

Fiddleford hummed and adjusted his glasses. "I'm not sure if ye' would exactly approve of the idea." He admitted.

"Tell me anyway." Bill answered back, putting his hands on his hips once more.

McGucket nodded slowly and motioned for Bill to come closer. Bill did as told and got down on one knee as Fiddleford spoke in a quiet manner. "Did Stanford ever tell ye' about that spare memory gun I kept all these years?" He asked.

"Uh... No-" Bill admitted before coming to the realization of the other man's idea. He gasped and stood back up in fear, looking at the smaller man who nodded up at Bill.

* * *

Ford was down in his laboratory, working on an enchantment spell he had written about years ago. And by working, he meant struggling. The spell had been down in the basement before he had ever disappeared through the portal, and he had yet to even_ test_ the spell. He had tried making the spell work multiple times throughout the afternoon, however he felt too stressed to actually perform it correctly.

He had been told of the spell by Bill years ago. Twice had Ford wondered if Bill remembered the spell, and how to correctly perform it in case he was missing something. Both times Ford reminded himself that he didn't need Bill's assistance. Ford was confident that his note taking had been just as good -if not better- than it was now.

The basic workings of the spell were this: One would select a blade that had been well sharpened, place it atop a flat surface, call out the exact chant that was listed, and focus their eyes on the blade. The spell was meant to keep a knife's sharpness last for much longer periods of time. Ford figured it would be an effective tool to use for adventures. If he could manage to complete it, that is.

On one side of his desk was the page of the notebook he had written down the notes of the spell in, and on the other side was a small, sharp blade which he was planning to enchant.

Ford looked down the notebook as he hovered his hand over the blade that lay flat on the desk.

"Vkcus cv c qhhgoh, Vkcus cv c qhhgoh..." Ford muttered, following along with the spell's wordage. His pupils disappeared from his eyes, making his eyes white and glowing. The light from his eyes reflected against the knife, and ended up reflecting onto an empty vase at the corner of his desk. The white light reflecting from his eyes became warmer by the second, eventually heating the glass to the point where it shattered. A piece of glass scraped at Ford's chin, leaving a small wound on the side of his face.

Ford gasped and his eyes turned back to normal. He brought a hand hesitantly up towards his face and hissed at the stinging pain caused by the open wound. Ford looked over at the broken vase and sighed.

_That's the third vase that's broken this afternoon. _Ford thought to himself, rolling his eyes. He didn't understand- what was he doing incorrectly? The thought of asking Bill crossed his mind again- however he chose to deny it. He wished to keep his distance from the man for a while. Ford wasn't sure if it was the best option, but at the very least it would give them some time apart.

_I haven't been upstairs since everyone got home. _Ford had to remind himself. _Maybe just one more attempt at this spell... _He thought before looking over at the vases he had so far used. He had but two vases left.

_Maybe it needs to__ be a bit more sharpened. _Ford thought. He figured it would be worth a try, but he knew that it could wait a bit. He walked towards the elevator, deciding to go upstairs for a bit. Ford pressed the button on the elevator, walking inside.

* * *

_"No!"_ Mabel and Dipper exclaimed in unison at the stupidity of a character in a movie that was being played on the Tv. Stan just laughed, knowing the deep mistake the character had made. Bill, who has sat himself on the skull beside the couch, just watched along.

The four all turned to the 'Employees only' door, watching Ford emerge from the gift shop and head towards the kitchen without a sound.

Mabel turned around to look at Bill and tugged on his black jeans to get his attention. Bill looked down at the girl to see her pointing towards the doorframe, encouraging him to go talk to Ford. Bill looked over and bit his lip, looking back at the girl and shaking his head. Mabel gave him a sad frown, one that she knew was irresistible to 90% of the people she had tried it on. Bill made the mistake of looking into her eyes, seeing her bottom lip quiver.

Bill sighed and narrowed his eyes at the girl. Mabel gave a wide grin, showing off her braces, and nodded. With a groan, Bill stood up and walked towards the door frame, blocking the tv as he passed by to Stan's audible annoyance.

Hesitantly, Bill put his hands in his pockets and walked towards the kitchen. He leaned on the doorframe and watched as Ford grabbed some grapes from the fridge that had been previously washed, placing the bowl they were placed in atop the table.

Bill waited a moment before sighing silently. He leaned his head on the doorframe to keep his bruising cheek hidden. Bill took a deep breath and worked up the bravery to speak.

"Hey." Bill muttered.

Ford looked over at the doorframe when he heard the voice. He gave a wave before looking away. "Hello." He muttered back, suddenly finding a plate on the counter interesting.

Bill nodded for no real reason. Ford ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat, looking down at the table and grabbing a grape, popping one into his mouth before putting his hands in his coat pockets.

Bill walked over hesitantly. "Can I have one?" He asked, pointing at the grape bowl.

Ford just nodded with a shrug. "Go ahead." He muttered.

The smaller man extended his arm towards the bowl. He grabbed a grape and put it in his mouth. Bill and Ford heard a noise from the living room and both looked over frantically. Ford was first to notice it had only been a sound effect from the tv and looked back over at Bill. He noticed the other man had a forming bruise on his cheek.

"What happened here?" Ford asked, looking carefully at the injury. Bill looked back and gasped, placing a hand back atop his cheek to hide the injury to no avail. Ford carefully grabbed his wrist, pulling it away to look at the injury once more.

Bill looked at his wrist that was being held, then looked back into Ford's brown eyes. Bill tried speaking, however couldn't find the words. Eventually he was able to say, "J-Just a smack." He said with a shrug.

Ford narrowed his eyes at the injury and took two fingers, gently caressing the area. Bill hissed at the sting that he (to his surprise) didn't find funny. Ford quickly retracted his hand.

"Sorry, sorry." Ford apologized.

"Don't be," Bill said. "It's nothing."

Ford nodded in a skeptical manner and looked at the man. Bill looked back, trying to read Ford's facial expression. If course Ford was mad, and he had every right to be, however for the first time all afternoon, Ford had a look of temptation. The look had only stayed on his face for a bit, of course. Luckily for Bill, he had caught it just in time.

Bill gave a small smile as he looked into the other's eyes, taking his spare hand and bringing it up to Ford's fluffy hair, running his hand through it. Ford leaned into the touch and shut his eyes. His mind was scolding him for giving in to such a thing, however his heart allowed the action to go on for a bit longer.

It was at this moment that Bill noticed a new scrape at the side of Ford's chin. Bill slipped the hand ruffling the man's hair to the back of his head, rubbing the bit of Ford's neck that wasn't covered by his maroon sweater. Ford opened his eyes halfway at the contact and noticed Bill's eyes staring back at him when he looked into his shining yellow eyes that showed concern.

"What happened there?" Bill asked.

Ford was hesitant before responding. He knew just what Bill was referring to, words just seemed difficult to form at the time. "...Just a shard of glass." He answered, finding himself to have gotten lost in the other man's eyes.

It wasn't until now that Ford truly admired how perfect the man looked in that fancy outfit. He had noticed it earlier, yes, however he had never taken the time to truly admire his choice of fashion. In the heat of the moment, Ford put his spare hand on Bill's hip, which Bill seemed completely unopposed to. Bill took his other hand out of Ford's and hesitantly put both his hands at the back of the scientist's head, Ford putting his now spare hand atop Bill's back.

Bill parted his lips slightly at the contact, keeping their eyes locked, neither man looking away. Ford suddenly felt as if Bill were a magnet as he felt himself willingly leaning closer to the other's lips. Bill tilted his head to the side as Ford took his hand off Bill's back, instead placing it underneath his chin. Bill's eyes fluttered shut as he felt their faces drawing closer towards each other.

Their lips hardly got the chance to brush against each other when Ford stopped. He pulled his face away and cleared his throat, taking his hands away from the smaller man.

"Stop, this needs to stop." Ford stated, grabbing Bill's wrists and taking them away from his hair, letting go of the other's arms and placing his own hands behind his own back.

"Six-" Bill began, but stopped himself when Ford shook his head.

"It's not right." Ford muttered.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" He asked.

Ford scoffed. "_Why?__" _He repeated, giving the man a firm glare. "I think you know exactly _why." _He said.

"I don't see why it's not _right." _Bill said, putting his hands on his hips.

"Must I remind you of the _sickening act _you attempted to perform earlier today?" Ford asked, his glare still apparent as he raised his voice.

Bill groaned obnoxiously and rolled his eyes. "I would have explained earlier if you hadn't rushed off and pouted in your little laboratory!" He shot back.

Ford narrowed his eyes. "I'll have you know I was working on a _very _durable sharpening spell for a specific blade I've kept safe down in the laboratory since I returned from the portal." He stated.

"Wait," Bill began, "The sharpening spell _I _told you about?" He asked.

Ford sighed and nodded. "Yes," He said, looking away for a moment before looking back at Bill with the previous glare he had shown. "But that's beside the point, _Cipher._ If you expect your actions to be forgiven so easily and quickly you are _surely _mistaken." He stated with a sneer.

Bill folded his arms. "Question Mark was pretty quick to forgive me!" He said.

Ford rolled his eyes at Bill's remark. "If you haven't noticed, Soos is one of the easiest people in all of Gravity Falls to persuade. He would forgive a carnival business for ripping him off with overpriced snacks and rigged games if it meant he could take home a balloon." He said.

Bill sighed. "Alright, you've got a point there. But Shooting Star was quick to forgive me, too!" He stated, putting his hands on her hips.

Ford adjusted his glasses and glared at Bill. "And what about Dipper? Or Stanley? Why, I'm sure you remember that slap to the face my brother gave you earlier, don't you?"

"So?" Bill shot back, glaring. His glare faded and he raised an eyebrow. "Wait, how did you know it was-"

"It's not a challenge to identify." Ford said.

"So what, you're just gonna give me the cold shoulder?" Bill asked, hands on his hips. Words were not needed- the man's glare answered the question for him.

Ford walked over to the doorframe and looked back at Bill. "You'll need to prove yourself before... " He began, stopping himself mid-sentence.

"Before?" Bill repeated.

Ford looked away at the living room to see those watching the tv laughing. He looked back and shook his head. "It's nothing." He said, walking away with a glare.

Stan saw his brother storming away and looked over before Ford could disappear.

"Jeez Ford, what crawled up your pants?" Stan asked. He was unamused when Ford left without giving an answer.

Dipper looked at Mabel in confusion. The girl could only shrug.

* * *

Fiddleford had snuck down to the basement when Ford had left. In his hand, he held the spare memory gun he was surprised to have seen in the portal room after all these years about a month ago. McGucket had hidden the device away in a room in the shack none of the Pines' used often at all. He hid behind the file cabinet, awaiting Ford's return. Bill had seemed somewhat apposed to the idea of Fidds taking Ford's memory away, but Fiddleford knew it was something he had to do. He owed it to the demon for messing everything up in the first place.

After a few minutes of waiting, McGucket could hear the faint sound of the elevator coming down. He took a knee behind the file cabinet and kept the memory gun up against his chest.

He looked his head out slightly as Ford walked past him, retreating towards the desk beside the portal room's window where the knife lay.

Ford looked down at the knife atop the desk and hummed. He considered sharpening the knife a bit more before attempting the spell again. Maybe then the spell would work. He placed his hands atop the desk as he turned his head to look over his notes for what had to be the fourteenth time.

_Just go fer' it, _Fiddleford tried telling himself. _He's distracted with them notes there._

Ford narrowed his eyes at the notes. He didn't understand- he had followed the instructions perfectly. It _had _to be the knife, there wasn't a doubt in Ford's mind.

Ford scratched the back of his neck, looking down at the knife. He could see his reflection when he looked at the shiny silver dagger.

Fiddleford slowly walked towards the man, standing behind Ford from a distance. McGucket looked down at the memory gun and slowly moved the dial, typing into the gun, **_"B-A-B-Y-C-U-R-S-E". _**

Ford raised an eyebrow at hearing the sound of a dial slowly clicking. He turned around and gasped at the sight of a memory gun being charged up. Fiddleford couldn't see that the man had turned around through the blue light charging up by the light bulb bit. He squinted his eyes shut and pulled the trigger, sending a flash of blue light Ford's direction. Ford ducked down onto the ground, protecting his head with his arms as the shot was fired. He did a forward somersault towards the smaller man and swiftly disappeared behind McGucket.

The blue flash ricocheted off the window. McGucket gasped at the sight of Ford gone and the light coming back to hit him.

_"Get down!"_ Ford exclaimed, grabbing Fiddleford by the shoulders and pulling the man down onto the floor beside him. Fiddleford exclaimed in fear and placed his arms atop his neck to protect his head, as did Ford. The blue light continued to ricochet around the glass objects in the room until the light's power began to ware out.

After a moment of staying down and safe from the light, Ford poked his head up from out of his arms to make sure the light had faded. When he saw no sign of the light around the room, he got on his knees and grabbed McGucket's shoulders with a firm grasp. Fiddleford looked at the other man, his eyes wide.

"What were you thinking?" Ford asked with a serious facial expression.

Fiddleford found words to be failing him. "I-I...Th-I-" He tried, however couldn't seem to form a proper sentence.

Ford gently released his grip on the man and adjusted his glasses. "Take your time." He said. He noticed a memory gun laying on the floor beside McGucket and slowly took the weapon, sliding it closer towards him so the smaller man wouldn't try to use it a second time. He sat atop his knees as he looked back over at the smaller man.

"I-I'm sorry, Stanford." Fiddleford apologized, sitting criss-crossed on the floor. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, straightening out his olive V-neck sweater vest.

"Why did you do it?" Ford asked. He had a feeling Bill had encouraged him to do this, however he didn't want to make a false assumption. He looked at the memory gun he had placed beside him and picked it up, looking down at what McGucket had dialed in to the device.

Ford looked back at Fiddleford. "Did Bill tell you to do this?" He asked.

Fiddleford shook his head at the question. "Naw, he actually said it wasn't a good idea." He informed. "But... I kinda owe it to the two of ye' after messin' up whatever the two of ye' shared." He said in more of a mutter, looking down at the floor.

"So he _did_ know you were planning this." Ford said. Fiddleford nodded at the question. Ford huffed and narrowed his eyes. "He may have thought it wasn't a good idea, but he sure didn't think to_ tell me."_ He muttered in a bitter tone.

"How easy would it have been for him ta'?" Fiddleford defended, looking at Ford.

Ford was taken aback by the question. He looked at McGucket who had his arms folded. "Bill was in the kitchen the same time I had been. He could have told me then." He stated.

"He spoke to ye'?" Fiddleford asked, surprised.

Ford nodded at the question. "Yes, was there a reason he shouldn't have?" He asked.

McGucket shook his head at the question. "He said he din' wanna bother ye' because he knew ye' were upset with 'im." He answered.

"Well, who wouldn't be after that thickheaded stunt he pulled?" Ford shot back with a scoff. He sighed and looked at the floor, noticing that he had raised his voice a bit more than what would have been decent. "I'm sorry." Ford muttered.

Fiddleford shrugged and the apology and put a hand atop Ford's shoulder. "A-As crazy as this might sound, Stanford," McGucket began, "I-I'm gonna haveta' side with Bill on this one." He said.

Ford looked up and raised an eyebrow. "Come again?" He asked.

"Well," Fiddleford began with a shrug, retracting his hand from Ford's shoulder. "If ye' think about it... he_ did_ have a good reason ta' do what he did." He defended.

"And what reason is that?" Ford asked, rolling his eyes.

Fiddleford adjusted his glasses before speaking. "He did it fer' love." He said. "A-And I know I've never gotten along well with im', but I see that he's a changed... well, _person._ He really does love ye', Stanford. Bill told me he didn't want ta' do this in the first place." He said.

"Then why did he?" Ford asked in a more calm manner now.

McGucket shrugged at the question. "He's done a lot ta' change his ways after all these years. Ye' can't expect 'im ta' get everything right. I'm sure he sees the world different than we do. He hasn't had to deal with all these human-like emotions his whole life like we have." Fiddleford said. He sighed and looked away. "He...He never woulda' done such a thing if I hadn't gotten in the way of it all in the first place. If yer' gonna' be mad at anyone, ye' should be mad at me." McGucket muttered.

Ford shook his head slowly and placed a hand atop his friends shoulder. "I'm not mad at you." He assured.

"But yer' mad at him?" Fiddleford asked with a firm look. One that Ford hadn't seen from the man in quite some time.

Ford's mouth hung open slightly. The hand he had placed atop the smaller man's shoulder was frozen in mid-air as he tried to think up a response.

Fiddleford sighed. "Bill had a_ true_ reason, Stanford." He said, "As strange as it is ta' hear me say it, ye' shouldn't be this hard on 'im about it." He said.

Ford closed his mouth and looked away with a small frown. He hummed in a low tone and placed his hands atop his lap.

**There's chapter 36! I'm sorry if the old chapter combinations were confusing. I can assure you that you didn't miss out on anything. **

**So... A lot of emotion in this chapter as well. Not so much sad, save Bill's down mood. I feel a bit evil for writing the kitchen scene how I did. Heh... **

**Unfortunately, Ford's still going to be like this for a while, as we know he holds a grudge on a lot of things. It felt a bit strange writing Fiddleford so defensive of Bill, as he has shown to have a distaste for Bill both cannon-wise and fic-wise. I also feel like the characters said "It's nothing." A lot in this chapter. I was originally going to have a character call them all out about it, but I figured it would be unnecessary. **

**I found the scene with Mabel scolding Stan quite humorous whilst writing it. xD**

**The next chapter will be up soon. **


	37. Melo-Deed

**My apologies for being gone about two weeks without updating, I've been getting some stuff set up recently such as school related things as well as Tumblr. (My Tumblr user is on my profile if you're interested in checking it out!) Also, I know this chapter name is a bit strange. But there's a good reason for it!**

**If you are reading this, you might want to go back and make sure you read the last chapter. I posted the last one a few days after I had posted The Curse chapter. Not to mention I did some rearrangements on earlier chapters. Just a heads up that you should check to be sure, as I wouldn't want to confuse anyone on what's going on here.**

**For anyone wondering about the whole thing about Ford going unconscious for an entire month in his "Dream", don't worry, I haven't forgotten. I know it's been pushed aside for a long time, and I'll be writing a wrap on it in the mere future.**

**I've noticed that Wendy hasn't had many appearances in this fic, well other than her nearly getting Ford busted about the little situation back in the christmas chapter. (; So, Wendy will have an appearance in this chapter. She doesn't know that Bill is back at the shack, nor a human in _genral_. **

**Here's chapter 37 of "Welcome Home"!**

The next day was a rather typical one, save Soos not arriving for work as Stan had instructed. Bill was in charge of taking the handyman's spot for the day to his distaste. The demon had attempted to reel Stan in to forgetting that Bill had a job at the shack in the first place. Unfortunately Bill's plan to get Stan to forget only reminded the man, hence the result of Bill sitting behind the gift shop counter with an unamused look on his face.

Wendy walked into the gift shop with a sack lunch in her hand. When the bell by the shack's door rang, Stan turned around with an annoyed -yet not surprised- look on his face. He adjusted his usual red work tie and folded his arms whilst looking at the teenager.

"You're 15 minutes late." Stan grumbled.

"Yeah, sorry about that, Mr. Pines." Wendy said, scratching the back of her neck awkwardly and setting her sack lunch beside the cash register. "My dad needed some help with the wood some bird must have dropped on our house." She said with a casual shrug.

"A bird?" Stan repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah," Wendy confirmed. "I wouldn't bother questioning it." She advised.

Stan was about to respond until he noticed Bill spacing out as he leaned on the counter.

"Hey, Blondie!" Stan began, taking his 8-ball cane and tapping it against the counter. Bill flinched and looked at the man. "No sleepin' on the job." Stan commanded.

Bill yawned and nodded slowly, looking over at the vending machine.

Wendy looked at the fellow employee in concern. "You okay there, man?" She asked.

"Yeah," Bill said with a nod of his head, looking down at the counter and folding his hands with a sigh. "Couldn't sleep last night."

"It shows." Wendy said. She grabbed a magazine from off a shelf and sat down in the chair, leaning back as she began to read the magazine. The man's voice sounded a bit familiar, however she couldn't seem to shake _where _she had heard it from.

Out of nowhere, Mabel ran into the gift shop, rushing up to Stan and tugging on his arm to get his attention.

"Grunkle Stan, Grunkle Stan!" Mabel exclaimed with a hint of worry.

Stan looked down and put his hands on his hips. "What is it, pumpkin?" He asked.

"Soos just called," Mabel informed. Wendy and Bill looked over at the girl at the mention of the name. "He said that he's coming here _now!" _

_"What?" _Stan exclaimed wirh his eyes wide. "What does that knucklehead need to do here? I told him to stay home!"

"I don't know," Mabel admitted, just as confused. "But whatever his reason is, it seemed important."

Stan rolled his eyes. "If he's comin' here thinkin' he's gonna work, I'm kickin' him out." He said, pointing towards the door with a shake of his head.

Wendy set her magazine down on the counter. "Oh yeah, you never told me why he's not coming to work." She said. Wendy figured that she should get an answer to the question now that she was covering part of Soos' job without extra pay.

"Uh.. He's takin' care of his kid." Stan informed. "Daddy issues, am I right?" He asked.

Wendy covered her mouth and Bill bit his lip as the two tried to keep themselves from laughing. They couldn't last a total of three seconds before the two began bursting out laughing. Mabel couldn't help but giggle.

"What?" Stan asked in confusion. "What did I say?" He questioned, putting his hands on his hips and looking at his employees.

Wendy snickered and shook her head as she looked over at her boss. "I don't think you should... Say stuff like... _That." _She said, trying to hold back her laugh as she attempted to speak. Bill slammed a fist down on the counter and squinted his eyes shut, his laugh filling the room.

Wendy stopped laughing when she heard the man beside her. _That laugh... _She thought. _It's more than familiar. _

Mabel looked over at Bill and smiled. "Calm down, Bill!" She said, walking over to him and patting him on the head.

"...Bill?" Wendy questioned aloud. She recalled Stan bringing up the same name a couple months ago, and she remembered the haircut as the same man she had seen with Ford on Christmas. The three in the room all looked at her as she spoke her confusion. Bill made the mistake of looking into the teenager's eyes.

Wendy looked at Bill and gasped in horror at the sight of him looking back at her. She saw the man's eyes looking back at her and exclaimed in alarm, grabbing her magazine and rolling it up into her hands as if to use it as a weapon. She put her spare hand out in front of her in alarm.

"Y-Y-You!" Wendy stuttered, her eyes wide. How hadn't she noticed earlier?

Bill gave an awkward chuckle and scratched the back of his neck. "Surprised to see me, Red?" He asked with a sly smile.

Wendy tossed the magazine at the demon, causing Bill to chuckle at the pain. She wore an even larger look of horror when the man merely chuckled.

"Y-You're insane!" Wendy exclaimed with a glare. "Who do you think you are coming to work here all casually?" She asked, folding her arms and glaring.

Stan sighed. "Calm down, Wendy. I hired him." He said.

_"Why?"_ Wendy asked in complete confusion. "Why would you _ever-"_

"Hey, if my brother's keepin' the demon here, of course I'm gonna make him work." Stan said, folding his arms. Wendy kept a cold glare on Bill.

Mabel walked over behind the counter, putting her hands out between the two employees. "Wendy, it's okay! Bill's family now." She assured.

"I wouldn't say family." Bill retorted, putting his index finger up at the remark.

"That's kinda pushin' it, sweetie." Stan said, shaking his head in disapproval.

Everyone in the gift shop looked at the front door to see Soos slam the door open, Brock wrapped neatly in a blue blanket in one arm as he held the door open against the wall with the other. Soos stood there gasping for air as if he had just completed a mile run.

Stan looked at the handyman. "Soos, what're ya' doing here?" He asked.

Soos took a moment to catch his breath. Everyone was confused as to why he was breathing so dramatically when it was clear that his truck has been parked outside the gift shop.

"S-Sorry Mr. Pines," Soos began. " I just remembered... That Wendy hasn't... Met Brock yet." He said, trying to slow his breathing.

"You came here just to show off your kid?" Stan asked, unamused. "We're gonna have customers comin' in at any second!"

Soos looked behind him to check the perimeter outside by the parking lot. There wasn't a sound outside save the distant call of a bird in the distance. He looked around to see absolutely no one in sight. Not a single car, person, or penny. The parking lot was empty as could be. Soos watched as a desert tumbleweed drifted across the excuse of a lawn.

Soos turned back around and gave a look of skepticism towards his boss.

Wendy walked over to the child and have a small smile. "Aw man, that's the cutest kid I've ever seen!" She cooed.

"Careful Red," Bill began as Wendy took Brock, holding him in her arms, "With all that anger you've got, you might accidentally drop the kid before coming to punch me in the face." He said with an eye roll.

"Oh, I'll be punching more than your face." Wendy vowed with a glare.

"Woah-ho-hoa!" Stan exclaimed with his hands on his hips, a grin plastered along his face. "I'd like to see _that _go down!" He commented.

Mabel put her hands in her hair in frustration. "Guys, guys, cut it out!" She began, looking back and fourth from Bill to Wendy. "Violence is never the answer!" She said.

_"Tell me _you're joking, Mabel," Wendy began, handing Brock back to Soos before making fists by her sides. "Do you have any idea what he did to this town? have you forgotten?" She asked.

Mabel shook her head at the question. "I haven't forgotten, just moved on." She said, her arms folded.

Wendy scoffed. "Seriously Mr. Pines, I don't see how your nerdy brother could honestly love_ that guy._" she said, saying 'that guy' as if it were a disease.

_Quite strange actually_. Bill thought to himself. He shook the thought out of his head and glared at the teen.

Stan rolled his eyes. "What are ya' talkin' about? Ford don't love 'im. Not possible." He said, shaking his head with his arms folded.

Bill just laughed. "Where do you get this stuff, Red?" He asked with a sarcastic eye roll.

"Yeah," Stan continued, "And even if Ford really _did _like that idiot, I'd be first to give him a piece of my mind." He said, making a fist and punching it into his other hand with a glare.

"Grunkle _Stan.." _Mabel said in a serious tone, folding her arms.

Stan looked down at his niece and scoffed. _"Oh, _but it's all fine when my brother punches _me?_" He asked, folding his arms and looking away with a huff.

Everyone in the room turned to look at the vending machine as its secret door opened. Ford emerged from the laboratory and gave a quick morning greeting to those in the gift shop. He looked over at the gift shop door to see Soos standing in front of it, Brock resting in his arms. He grew confused at seeing the handyman in the shack. Bill looked over at the man and wondered if Fiddleford had erased his memory or not. He had told Fiddleford that it wasn't the best idea, however McGucket had seemed as if it was something he needed to do. Bill watched Ford carefully in attempt to sense a change of behavior.

"I'll take this." Stan said, walking over to Soos and grabbing his child. Soos gasped at the loss of his son and put a hand out as Stan held Brock close to him.

"Mr. Pines, what are you doing?" Soos asked, slight fear noticeable in his voice.

"Calm down, Soos," Stanley ordered. "I'm just gonna' go watch TV with the kid. I wanna be there for the baby's first viewing of a wrestling program." He said with a large grin.

Soos was quite skeptical of the plans Stan had planned out with his child, however he trusted his boss. Soos knew that Stan wouldn't do anything to harm Brock, though he had still felt a jolt of concern when Stan walked off with the child.

Ford watched his brother grinning at the child as he walked into the living room and sighed, shaking his head. He wasn't too fond of his brothers' idea, and it seemed that Soos wasn't too thrilled with it either. Luckily the child was too young to understand all that would be going on in the program. He looked back over at the father in the room.

"Soos," Ford greeted, adjusting his glasses and offering the younger man a smile. "I wasn't expecting to see you here today, is something wrong?" He asked.

Soos shook his head at the question, though he wasn't too sure himself. "I just stopped by figuring Wendy could see Brock." He answered. Soos looked away with a sigh that he tried to hide by chuckling. "And... To take some time away from Abuelita's house." He continued in more of a mutter.

Wendy tilted her head in confusion and placed a hand atop the man's shoulder. "Aw man, did something happen?" She asked.

Soos shook his head at the question. "No, well- sorta. It's uh... It's complicated." He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck.

"What happened?" Mabel asked in concern.

Soos shrugged before answering the girl's question. "Abuelita told me the hospital called wondering where I had gone and why I had left a couple days ago without signing out. Of course she had some questions about the whole thing too, but I-I couldn't tell her what happened. I can't." He said with a sigh. "It would break her heart."

Bill frowned at the information. Ford looked over at Bill and shot him him a glare. Bill was taken aback by the glare, but he wasn't surprised. He knew that he deserved it. Still, the look given made his heart sting. Bill folded his arms and looked away, giving an inaudible sigh. _I guess that answers one question. _Bill thought to himself.

Ford looked back at Soos and put his hands behind his back. "Did you ever consider bringing the situation up with Melody?" He asked. His eyes widened as he was quick to remember that the woman he had mentioned was no longer alive.

A wave of guilt passed by Ford when he saw a frown on Soos' face become more apparent. He put one hand on his heart and put the other out in front of him. "O-oh, I'm... I'm so sorry." Ford said, biting his lip and feeling the strong urge inside to kick himself for asking auch a senseless question.

"Well, you're just as bad as me now." Bill spoke aloud, rolling his eyes.

Ford and Wendy glared at the man. _"Shut it!"_ They both exclaimed in unison with cold glares. Wendy clenched her fists and fought her desperate need to kick the demon in a rather _specific_ area.

"Excuse me, but am I _wrong?"_ Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips and narrowing his yellow eyes at the two who looked back at him with looks of disgust.

"_Yeah, _you are!" Wendy shot back. "Weirdmageddon is _way _worse than his unintentional slip up, man!" She said, folding her arms and muttering, "If I can even _call _you that."

"Oh, _oh! _You're comparing this to _Weirdmageddon?_" Bill asked, laughing and shaking his head. "Sorry Red, but that's _old news!"_ He stated. "Do you even know what's going on here?" He asked.

"Do I have to?" Wendy shot back with a sneer, putting her hands on her hips.

Bill opened his mouth to respond to the sharp answer, however he couldn't find the right words. He just scoffed in response before shutting his mouth.

Mabel groaned. "Why does everything lead to an argument?" She asked, face palming and squinting her eyes.

From the living room, they could hear the muffled cry of Stan yelling "Yes! _Yes__! _Put im' in a _headlock!" _He exclaimed. A giggle from Brock could be heard directly after. Soos grew concerned for his son's future sanity.

Soos adjusted his hat. "Mabel's right, dawgs." He said. Everyone in the room turned to look at the handyman. "It doesn't matter." He said in more of a mutter.

"Come on, Soos," Wendy said, walking back over towards the man. "Don't worry too much. You'll make it with raising Brock on your own." She assured. "And if you don't, we've got your back." She said.

"Thanks Wendy," Soos began, "But I wasn't too sure how good of a parent I would be even when Melody _was_ around. Man, I wish she could be here." He said with a sigh before continuing. "Now Brock's in need of a good parent, Abuelita is wanting answers on what happened the other day, and Melody isn't here anymore." He said with a sigh, tipping his hat down partly and closing his eyes, fighting the urge to cry.

Bill opened his mouth to say something, then shut it. He extended an arm, the retracted it. He bit his lip and looked at the handyman. Bill looked down under the gift shop counter where he had placed the amulet. He grabbed the magical object and placed it in his hand, bringing it back up to the counter and sighing.

Bill looked at the handyman, speaking hesitantly. "There might be a way I can help." He said.

Soos looked up. "W-What?" He asked, both confusion and fear showing in his eyes.

Bill looked down at the amulet and gently clenched it in his hand before looking back at the handyman. "You said you, uh... Wanted Melody back, right?" He asked, tilting his head.

Soos nodded slowly at the question. Bill hummed and put his spare hand on his hip. "That might be possible." He revealed.

Soos gasped at the sudden information. "Really?" He asked the man.

Ford, however, wasn't convinced that the demon had good intentions. "What kind of _sick_ game are you playing at, Bill?" He asked with narrowed eyes.

_"Relax, _Sixer." Bill commanded with an eye roll. "This_ isn't_ a joke, it's not some game. There really _is _a chance Melody could return." He said with a confirming nod of his head.

"How... How is that possible? Can you really do that?" Soos asked. He was surprised, however he was convinced that Bill was telling the truth.

Bill nodded his head. "Oh, it's possible. If I can just-" He began, but stopped when Ford slammed a fist on the counter with a glare.

"Absolutely not." Ford bellowed.

"Mr. Pines!" Soos blurted out with wide eyes. It felt a bit strange to call Ford by 'Mr. Pines' however it was still suitable, as it was his name as well as Stan's.

Bill rolled his eyes. _"What?"_ He asked Ford in clear annoyance.

"Do you honestly believe this strange sudden act of kindness could be trusted?" Ford asked. "Recently you've shown nothing but recklessness. If you think _anyone_ would go along with whatever plan you have in store, well, I dare say you're a _fool." _

Wendy looked at Bill, then at Soos. "You know, Soos, I'm gonna side with Fordster on this one. Bill could totally be lying to you, man." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"But... But what if he's not?" Soos asked in a hopeful manner. "Maybe he's actually trying to help." He said with a shrug.

Wendy groaned and face palmed at the answer given, her hand sliding down her face before speaking._"Soos, _it's _Bill_. Why would he ever want to _help?_" She asked.

Soos shrugged at the question asked. "What do I have to lose?" He asked. "Stan has Brock. Mr. Pines might not admit it, but he'll protect Brock with like, his _life, _dude." He said. "And if there 's even a _chance _I could get Melody back, well, I'm gonna take it." He stated, walking over to the gift shop counter and standing beside Ford.

"Whatever it is, I'll do it." Soos said, extending an arm out for a handshake. Bill was taken aback by the motion of the man proposing a hand shake, however he brought his spare hand over towards the other man.

Wendy gasped. "Soos, don't shake his hand!" She warned.

Soos stopped and looked behind him in confusion. He raised an eyebrow. "Why not?" He asked.

"I agree," Ford said with a nod of his head. "Bill has a _record _with hand shakes." Ford stated, folding his arms and narrowing his eyes in Bill's direction.

_"Hey!" _Bill exclaimed, giving a glare to Ford. "Those are _past _things!" He asked, putting his hands on his hips. "What happened to keeping the past in the past, Mr. Clean-Slate?" He asked.

"I'm well aware that it was in the past," Ford began. "I'm merely giving a warning." He said, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the statement. He knew that he wasn't worthy of being shown too much kindness, though he was beginning to think Ford's reasoning for being _this cold _was getting a bit out of hand. He would need some way to win Ford over, but how?

_I wonder if Shooting Star has any experience with cooking. _Bill thought to himself. _Maybe she could give me some pointers._ _I'm sure she'd be happy to do something cool. Baking's cool, right?_

_Maybe not. _Bill retorted. _But that's not really my concern. What if I mess up__?_ _What if I do something wrong? Even worse- what if Ford just points out my mistakes? Man, that would sting._

"Uh... You okay there, dawg?" Soos asked. "You look like you're pondering the secrets of the universe." He said with a chuckle.

Bill looked at the handyman and sighed before looking away. "You have _no _idea." He muttered. Ford raised an eyebrow at the rather strange response, though it wasn't _too _strange being that it had come from Bill.

Bill looked at the clock on the wall and looked back at Soos. "So," He began, "Do you know where the body is?" He asked.

Soos tilted his head in confusion. "The what?" He asked.

Bill just rolled his eyes. "The _body, _dummy! Melody's corpse?" He asked.

_"Oh! __That _body." Soos said with an awkward chuckle.

Wendy raised an eyebrow at the strange response. "Uhh... Are you saying you've been dealing with _other _dead bodies?" She asked.

Soos looked at Wendy, then drew his eyes over to the 'Employee Only' door. "It's better not to question any of the plans Mr. Pines gets." He responded with a shiver.

Ford gave a look of horror. _Why in the world would Stanley have a dead body? _Ford asked himself. He opted to ask Stan about it later. He wouldn't want the police showing up and charging either himself or his brother for murder. Now that he thought about it, surely it had been more than murder.

"Just a tip," Soos began. "If you're at the Mystery Shack, don't be too picky with the merchandise." He advised. The others in the shack all nodded in unison. Even Bill was surprised- He wasn't sure if he should be afraid of the elderly hack or impressed. Likely a mix of both was reasonable.

"Anyway," Bill began with a tone of unease, "Where did they put Melody's body?" He asked.

"I think it's still at the hospital, dawg." Soos responded.

Bill groaned. He didn't want to go back to that hospital, as he was likely still being hunted down by the security guards. Regardless of what may happen on his behalf, he nodded at Soos. "Then that's where we're going." He said with a confirming nod of his head.

"Can I come?" Wendy asked, suddenly interested. "I might hate you with every hair on my head, but if this has something to with _literally _bringing someone back from the dead, I want in!" She said, pumping her fist in the air.

Bill grinned and nodded with his hands on his hips. "Sure thing, Red! Just try not to slice my head off with an axe!" He said as if he had just told a joke. With that, Soos, Wendy, Bill and Ford headed out of the gift shop. Bill was confused when the scientist followed, however he opted not to question.

Soos tilted his head. "Uhh... Wendy, you should probably tell Stan before skipping out on work." He advised.

"Nah, Mr. Pines is busy with watching tv. He won't even notice I'm gone." Wendy retorted with a shake of her head. She looked over at Ford. "You're not gonna snitch on us, are you Ford?" She asked.

Said man shook his head at the question he had been asked. He folded his arms. "I'm not exactly the 'tattle-type'." Ford assured. "Besides, it's probably best if I come along anyway." He added.

Bill groaned. "Why?" He asked.

"Is there _really _need to explain?" Ford responded.

Bill rolled his eyes at the response. "We don't need a chaperone. But it's kind of you to offer." He said with a fake smile as he walked off with Soos and Wendy. Ford walked over and grabbed Bill's wrist, turning the blonde around to face him.

Bill looked into the brown eyes staring back at him. Ford met him with a glare, whereas Bill wore a neutral look.

"I'm serious, _Cipher," _Ford hissed. "I'm not taking any chances. Who knows what reckless act you might try to pull." He said.

Bill tried to break his wrist free from Ford's grasp. Ford retracted his hand and adjusted his glasses. Bill just folded his arms.

"What happened to you?" Bill asked suddenly with a firm look on his face that was demanding -no- _begging _for an answer from the other man.

Ford was taken aback by the question. "I don't know what you're talking about." He stated.

"Yes you do," Bill said with a glare. "You know exactly what I'm talking about." He said.

Bill turned his head around when he heard Soos call out to him, the handyman poking his head out of his truck window. "Hey, you dudes coming?" Soos asked.

"In a minute, Question mark." Bill responded. Soos nodded and buckled his seat belt. Bill turned his head back to look at Ford once again. "I just don't get it." He said.

"How could you not understand that what you did was _completely_-" Ford began, but ws stopped when Bill inturrupted him.

"That's not what I mean," Bill said, putting his hands on his hips. "You've never acted like this, _never! _Not even when I first arrived here. I know you're always sorta strict with everyone, but this is _obsurd, _Stanford!" Bill said with a frown. "It's like you don't even _care__!" _

"Give me a reason why I should." Ford coldly responded, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill's eyes widened at the response. He parted his lips and gasped, scoffing in complete disbelief. He shook his head, taking his hands and shoving Ford backwards before storming away. Ford stumbled slightly at the shove, but kept his stance and guard high.

Bill walked over to Soos' truck and took the passenger seat. Wendy was in the back, with Soos in the drivers seat.

"Is Ford coming with?" Soos asked, turning to look at the man whom had just entered the vehicle.

Bill shook his head at the question. "Nah, he wants to stay with Fiddlesticks." He lied. Soos just nodded and started up the car.

Ford gasped as the truck began moving without him. He glared and ran up to the back of the truck, gripping the back of the vehicle and pulling himself up from off the ground. He leaped forward and swiftly landed on the back of the truck, making very little noise as he did so. He stayed down on one knee as the truck moved, leaving the shack. Ford sighed in relief at his timing. Had he waited no more than two seconds, he would have been left behind by the truck.

Ford thought for a moment about what Fiddleford had told him the day before about not being so hard on Bill. He knew where Fiddleford was coming from, and he did make a good point, but he couldn't see being exactly friendly to the demon on the checklist. He would need time.

"What's the plan, dawg?" Soos asked Bill, keeping his eyes on the road in front of him as he drove.

Bill took hold of the amulet he had carefully kept in his jean pocket, and looked down at it. He looked back at the handyman with a shrug. "Well," Bill began, "That all depends on how easy getting this body is going to be. And I'm not convinced that it'll be a piece of cake." He said.

"Man, cake actually sounds really good right now." Soos said. "Well, not _right _now, but later it would be great." He said with an awkward chuckle.

Bill just nodded. "I know what ya' mean, Question Mark." He assured. He looked put the window for a moment before looking back over at the handyman. "Hey, uh.." He began to mutter, suddenly having second thoughts about asking such a random question.

"What is it, dawg?" Soos asked, taking a quick glance at the demon before looking back at the road.

Bill scratched the back of his neck and looked put the windshield window before speaking. "Which, uh... Which is better? Cake or cookies?" He asked, looking down at his lap after asking the silly question.

"Aw dude, that's a tough choice. Is it for something specific, or just an out of context snack?" Soos asked.

"They're for someone else," Bill began. "Kinda like making them for someone you care about." He muttered, hiding his face as he spoke the last words.

Soos hummed. "Well, cake is nice. But in that situation, I'd probably go with the cookies. You can never go wrong with cookies!" He said with a smile.

"Fair enough," Bill said with a shrug. He turned to look behind him. "Red?" He asked, hoping for the teenagers' opinion as well.

Wendy just shrugged. "I'm with Soos on that one. Cookies are the way to go." She said with a confirming nod of her head. She folded her arms. "Why?" She asked, a bit suspicious. What was the point of asking such a strange question?

"No reason." Bill said with a dismissive wave. Wendy was skeptical, but decided not to push further on the question.

A few minutes later, the group arrived at the hospital. Wendy and Soos got out of the car, yet Bill opted to stay inside the vehicle. He had no intentions of going back into the hospital. Soos questioned the odd behavior.

"You okay, dawg?" Soos asked.

Bill gave the man a look of unease. "I think it would be better if I stayed in the truck," He began. "I don't need another mob of security guards bolting down the hallways in a pathetic attempt to turn me in to the police." He said.

Soos raised an eyebrow for a moment until remembering that Bill had tried to remain undercover in the demon's time of playing the role of a man at the front desk a couple days ago. Soos just nodded. "We'll be back before you know it, dude!" He told Bill before shutting the truck door, locking it afterwards to ensure the man's safety.

Ford ducked down when the handyman shut his car door. He watched as Soos as well as Wendy walked over towards the hospital entrance.

Moments after Soos stepped foot into the hospital, the very nurse whom had been in the same hospital room as Soos throughout the day's tragic situation was seen storming down the hall towards him.

"Mr. Ramirez, where have you been?" The nurse asked, her dark brown curls bouncing as she stopped beside the man.

Soos' eyes widened at the sight of the woman. "U-Uh..." He blurted out. The nurse folded her arms, tapping her foot impatiently. "I left to find my son, remember?" He 'reminded'.

"I assume you live with your grandmother, correct?" The nurse asked. Soos nodded, and the woman continued. "She told me over the phone yesterday that Brock was safe and sound at home with you." She said with narrowed eyes.

Soos chuckled in a rather fearful manner. He looked at the nurse hesitantly. "Y-Yeah, I...uh, I found him." He said with a suspicious smile. The nurse caught this and scoffed.

"Sir, I understand the want to avoid responsibilities, but there are some things you cannot simply avoid." The woman said. She waved a hand behind her. "Please follow me." She beckoned.

Wendy was skeptical and Soos gave a look of concern as the three walked down the hall. "Wh-Where are we going?" He asked.

"To the hospital room Melody had given birth." The nurse responded. "Custody reasons of her corpse must be taken care of." She said, running a hand through her curls as she walked, her high heels making a sound each time they hit the marble flooring.

Soos gave a sigh of relief at the news. Apparently this would be much easier than he had originally thought. The three traveled down the hospital hallway, passing by a couple hospital rooms before reaching the correct room. Wendy walked in after the nurse, Soos lagging behind slightly. He felt a bit of hesitance to enter the room in which he had left on a frantic and saddened note the last time he had left the room. He hoped that he would be able to get Melody as soon as possible.

Melody lay on a gurney with a sheet covered atop her body. There was a label above the gurney with her name written on it. The three walked over to the seat and surrounded the dead body. Soos stood close beside his dead girlfriend, carefully placing a hand atop the tip of the sheet and lifting it up slightly to see her face. Soos bit his lip at the sight; Melody looked surprisingly calm. Soos sighed and gave a sad smile, pushing a small hair away from his girlfriends' face.

"Excuse me, sir," The nurse interrupted. Soos looked over as the woman continued, "Please leave the corpse alone." She asked. Wendy cringed at the way the nurse had bitterly described Melody as merely a 'corpse'. Melody had merely been dead for merely two days, from what she had been told. She thought the nurse was a bit out of line using that word to describe Melody's current condition, however she decided not to speak of it.

"Oh, sorry dude." Soos apologized, retracting his hand from the sheet and putting them behind his back. The nurse sighed and grabbed her clipboard from atop a shelf against the wall.

"There are some legal duties that must be attended to now that she is deceased." The nurse said. "Also, you'll have to fill out some information, death certificate specifically, make some funeral arrangements, and-" She continued, until she heard multiple ear-piercing screams coming from the outside of the hospital. Wendy, Soos, and the nurse all looked around the room with wide-eyes.

An unfamiliar man ran into the hospital room, looking at the nurse as he tried to slow his breathing. "M-Ma'am!" He called out, pointing behind him.

"What is it, Larry?" The nurse asked, hands on her hips.

"Th-There's a young man outside, we need you to give him immediate CPR!" Larry responded with a rushed tone.

The nurse sighed. "Doesn't anyone else here know CPR?" She muttered to herself, shaking her head and placing her clipboard atop the shelf before rushing over to the door. She looked back at Soos and Wendy. "I'll be back, you two." She said with a confirming nod of her head.

"O-Okay!" Soos answered, concerned for the poor man whom seemed to be in trouble. He looked out the window behind him and saw a familiar face lying down on the concrete of the hospital's parking lot, nearby to where Soos had parked his truck. Three doctors surrounded Bill as he clutched his own throat, intentionally holding his breath and putting force on his lungs to bring a purple-like color to his face. He lay atop the ground, flopping around helplessly and kicking his legs to look as if he were dying. Wendy too saw the action made by the demon and smirked.

_Not bad, Cipher. Not bad. _Wendy thought to herself. She looked over at the door with a grin. "But we might not be..." She muttered, as if responding to the nurse whom had just left the hospital room.

"Huh?" Soos asked, tilting his head in confusion and raising an eyebrow.

Wendy looked back at Soos. "Don't you see?" She asked. "Bill's making a distraction so we can get out of here!" Wendy said, pointing at the door.

Soos gasped. "You really think so?" He asked.

"Yeah, man!" Wendy said with a nod of her head. "I know that type of trick when I see it. My brothers used to use it back in logging camp to play hooky. Now come on!" She said, waving her hand over to the door. She took the white sheet atop Melody's lifeless body and threw it to the ground. Wendy grabbed the side of the gurney close to Melody's feet, pulling it over to the room's door in a rush.

Soos gasped. "Wendy, what are you doing?" He asked as Wendy proceeded to pull Melody over towards the door.

"Getting her out of here!" Wendy responded. "Come help me!"

"But, the paperwork!" Soos exclaimed in concern, extending an arm out.

Wendy rolled her eyes. "What did we come here to do, Soos?" She asked impatiently.

"To get Melody." Soos responded. He gasped sharply in sudden realization. "_To get Melody!_ Come on, dawg!" He exclaimed, running over towards the door and pushing the other side of the gurney. The four wheels of the chair moved faster than the two had expected, and the gurney nearly crashed into the hallway's wall had Wendy not been there to push it away. Soos looked to his right and saw an 'Exit' door at the end of the hall.

"This way!" Soos said, pointing to the unfamiliar door he hoped led outside. Wendy nodded and helped Soos push the gurney across the hallway. She looked behind her and was pleased to see no hospital workers following them.

They rushed to the end of the hallway, Wendy running up in front of Soos and holding the exit door open. Soos thanked the teenager and tried getting the gurney outside. He pushed it up against the door to no avail. He narrowed his eyes and tried once more, trying a third time and growing frustrated when the chair wouldn't push past the singular door.

Wendy groaned. "Aw man, the gurney doesn't fit." She said with an annoyed sigh.

Soos hummed, folding his arms and looking at the gurney for a moment. He looked at Wendy and said, "We'll need to carry Melody from here." Wendy nodded and reached over to pick Melody up, however Soos put a hand out. "I've got it, dawg." He assured. He slung one of Melody's arms over his shoulder, putting one hand behind the woman's back and the other under her knees, picking her up bridal-style.

Wendy shoved the cart away from the door and let Soos exit first, taking Melody along with him. The teenager followed shortly behind the handyman, shoving her axe under the door to make it a bit more difficult for them to be followed. She ran up beside Soos and cupped her hands together by her mouth, shouting the demon's name to give some sort of signal.

Over at the front of the hospital, Bill heard a faint calling of his name by a familiar voice. The nurse was beside him, performing CPR on him. His eyes shot open and he gasped, rising up to sit on the ground. The nurse was taken aback by the sudden condition of the handsome stranger.

Bill grinned. "Hey, wouldja' look at that?" He asked, looking down at his chest and arms for show. He looked back up at the nurse and laughed. "Well, I'm okay now! It's... uh, It's a miracle!" He exclaimed, jumping up and standing up, putting his hands out beside him and putting his legs apart with a confused smile. "Right? Because... Because that's what humans say when something lucky happens, yeah?" He asked, replacing his minor confusion with a wide grin.

All the doctors and nurses groaned and shook their heads in disapproval at the now clearly fake act performed by the man, walking back into the hospital to return to their jobs, all except the nurse. Bill just looked at the nurse and kept his grin. "But thanks for the kisses, popsy!" He said with a smirk, winking at the woman.

The nurse gasped at the man's behavior and scoffed. She glared at the man, taking a step closer to Bill and extending her leg out in a forceful manner, giving the demon a rough kick to his groin, sending immediate pain between his legs. She watched as Bill bit his lip, groaning and falling to the ground, his hands between his legs as he hissed in pain. The nurse huffed and stomped away, her nose in the air.

From the back of Soos' truck, Ford winced at the sight of Bill lying helplessly on the ground, groaning in pain. He felt a bit bad for the pain the demon had never before experienced, however Ford knew that he would be lying if he said that Bill _didn't_ deserve it.

Ford could see two familiar figured emerging from the side of the hospital. He sighed in relief at the sight of Melody in Soos' arms, and he ducked back down on the truck as to not draw attention to himself.

The first thing Soos and Wendy saw when they returned to the truck was Bill. They looked at him with shock.

"Aw, dude..." Soos muttered, shaking his head. He too had experienced that pain in the past.

Wendy didn't know whether to help the demon or laugh. A snicker escaped her mouth, which earned her a harsh glare from the demon. Soos walked over to the truck and opened the back door, safely placing Melody inside the vehicle. Melody was placed in the middle of the back seat so that she could be easily seen whilst Soos was driving; just in case something were to go wrong. Soos had even buckled her seat belt to avoid her body being injured during the car ride. He took a step back and nodded in approval. She looked alive enough to the point where any police they may pass by wouldn't be suspicious.

Bill placed his hands on the concrete floor and slowly emerged from the ground, his legs shaking as a whimper of pain escaped him. He cursed his human form for appearing so helpless. He wondered why this pain wasn't funny. Normally he found pain humorous, so what was the big deal? He wasn't sure. He looked over and saw Wendy beside him, looking in his direction.

"Hey, you need some help, man?" Wendy asked, holding a hand out towards Bill.

Bill looked at the hand that was being extended out towards him and slowly got up onto his legs with narrowed eyes. "I'm not a child." He muttered with a sneer.

Wendy rolled her eyes at the response to her offer of help. Wendy and Bill walked over to the truck, where Soos had already started up the engine. Soos suggested that Bill sat in the back seat, which the smaller man quickly denied. He wasn't going to be treated like a baby, not in a million years.

"You could use the opportunity to check Melody for whatever it is you're doing." Soos said with a shrug. He still didn't know exactly what the plan was, and he assumed that he wouldn't get a full answer until the event was to occur.

Wendy nodded at Soos' suggestion. "Yeah, Soos is right. You should stay back there, dude." She said, getting into the passenger seat of Soos' truck.

Bill folded his arms and rolled his eyes. "Fine." Bill responded in a bitter manner. With a huff, he walked to the back seat, opening the door and stepping inside. He buckled his seat belt and wondered why Wendy was being so nice to him. He assumed that the teenager was merely doing this for Soos. He knew that the teenager didn't enjoy his presence.

Once everyone was in the truck, Soos quickly got out of his parking spot and drove away, as fast as the speed limit would allow until they were a few blocks away from the hospital.

"Where are we going, dawg?" Soos asked.

Bill shrugged at the question. "Somewhere most people wouldn't normally visit." He began, "Our best bet would be the forest. Ya' know, where Sixer and Pine Tree go on their adventures." He said.

Soos nodded. "That sounds like a good idea!" He praised with a smile. "What do _you_ think, Ford?" He asked. Bill raised an eyebrow at the handyman asking for Ford's opinion. He wasn't even in the-

"I'm sure that's feasible." Ford responded, writing something down on a notepad atop his lap. He had one leg crossed over the other as he jotted a couple notes down.

Bill's jaw dropped as his eyes widened at hearing the man's voice. He looked beside him and past Melody to see Ford sitting in the other seat of the vehicle. Bill was dumbfounded and shocked to see the scientist sitting there all of a sudden. "H-How long have you been there?" Bill asked.

Wendy was also confused. She turned to look behind her. "Yeah, how did you get here, man?" She asked Ford, raising an eyebrow.

"And _why?"_ Bill added, folding his arms with an eye roll.

Ford adjusted his glasses before responding. "I've been here the entire time, believe it or not." He said.

"I don't believe you." Bill said with narrowed eyes. "Red was the only one sitting in the back seat on the way to the hospital." He added.

Ford looked over at Bill, his facial expression unreadable. "Who ever said I was in the back seat?" He asked the other man.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "_You_ did." He responded with a scoff.

Ford shook his head. "I did not," He retorted. "I said that I was here the entire time, that doesn't necessarily mean_ here_ here." He stated.

Wendy looked at Ford, amused. "Woah man, are you saying you jumped in the back?" She asked with a grin. She wasn't surprised when Ford nodded his head. She made a mental note to ask him about it later. Perhaps she could pick up some tips on stealth for that sort of thing.

Bill groaned and face palmed. He knew that having Ford by his side throughout this was dangerous on his behalf. He knew that it would be a bad idea to have Ford along for the event was a bad idea in the first place. Bill was sure that Ford would only be present to criticize if the faintest thing were to go wrong. Bill sighed and looked out the window with his arms folded once more. He just hoped that the process would go smoothly- he feared that it would be his only way of redeeming himself in Stanford's eyes.

_Again. _

**Oh boy... I know what Bill did was pretty messed up. (Heck, I wrote it.) But still! Ford's kinda pushing the whole "Don't-socialize-with-Bill" thing a bit much. It kinda stung when I had written Ford's response to bill's question of if he even cared as "Give me a reason why I should." Ouch! **

**Anyway, this chapter was originally going to have more in it, however I figured that I haven't gotten a chapter out in two weeks now, so I found a good place to split it in half. The next chapter will be up sooner than this one was! I'm sorry that it took a bit longer this time. I suppose since I got a chapter in early last time, that led to the next chapter being a longer wait... **

**I'm not sure if I should bother giving the nurse a name. I'm not sure if she'll have another appearance in this story, so there's probably no point. Hmm...**

**Anyway, a new chapter will be up soon! **


	38. The Resuscitation

**Hey everyone! I'm here with another chapter. Make sure to stay safe from the virus. **

**There's a bit of swearing in this chapter. I _really_ tried to find a way around not using them, however it seemed fitting for the heat of the moment situations. **

**Here is chapter 38 of "Welcome Home"!**

Soos drove back the way to the Mystery Shack, so that they were close enough to the shack to perform the resuscitation in case anything were to go wrong, yet far enough that any possible people around them wouldn't look on at the event. Soos was skeptical about the process, and a couple times he had wondered what he would feel if the process were to go wrong. Whatever the cost- he knew that he had to take the chance. He wouldn't let Melody's story end this way. Soos hoped that Bill knew what he was doing just enough for his plan to work. This _had_ to work. This _needed_ to work.

Soos parked the car beside a large stone, a stone they opted to use as a marker for their location. Around them was nothing but pine and spruce tree's, along with the occasional bush. It was still bright outside, the sun had not yet set.

The moment Soos shut the car off and got out of the truck, Bill looked beside him and unbuckled the middle seat which Soos had placed Melody in. He gently took hold of the woman and picked her up, taking her out of the vehicle whilst being careful not to harm her. Soos walked over to Bill with intentions of helping the man. Soos took Melody in his arms and gently placed her atop the grass, the back of her head leaned up against a tree.

Meanwhile, Ford and Wendy got out of the vehicle, both shutting their doors. Wendy walked over to the old man and leaned over his shoulder slightly, trying to read what he was writing down. Ford was quick to notice the presence of the teenager and turned around.

"Can I help you?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.

Wendy shrugged. "You've been writing in that notebook the whole way here, and even now you're writing. What's so important?" She asked out of mere curiosity.

"Oh, this?" Ford asked, pointing at the mini notepad in his hand. Wendy nodded at the question, and Ford continued, "There's a sharpening spell I've been working on as of recently," He informed, "I have quite a few theories on the spell, and when one comes to mind my first instinct is to write it down." He answered with a small smile.

"Cool," Wendy said, folding her arms. "What's the spell for?" She questioned, tilting her head.

"A dagger of mine," Ford answered without hesitation. "Beautifully crafted, made up of durable materials. If I could_ just_ get this sharpening spell on it to work, it just might be one of the greatest blades I've carried in my possession." He said, putting his notepad and pen away in his lab coat.

"Aw man," Wendy began with a grin, "If you figure out how that spell works, you've _gotta_ show it to me. It would make chopping logs_ so_ much easier." She stated.

"If it doesn't seem to have any dangerous side effects, then yes, I would be happy to share." Ford said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Sweet." Wendy commented before walking off. She walked over towards Soos and noticed the handyman speaking to Bill about the process, mainly asking questions. Bill leaned against a tree, his arms folded as Soos asked question after question. Wendy noticed a small look of annoyance on Bill's face.

"Are you sure it'll work?" Soos asked.

"It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Bill questioned.

"Yeah, but what if it doesn't work?" Soos continued.

"Tough luck." Bill stated with a shrug.

"What's gonna happen if it does work?" Soos asked.

Bill rolled his eyes at the question. "Then you get your girlfriend back." He replied.

"Okay," Soos said hesitantly, looking away and nodding slowly before looking back at the demon. "So are you sure it'll work?" He asked once more.

Bill glared, his eyes glowing red for a moment before returning to yellow. _"I_ _don't know,_ Question Mark!" He shouted, his fists clenched by his sides in annoyance.

Soos put his hands up in front of him in an innocent manner. Wendy walked over to Bill and folded her arms. "Calm down, man." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

Bill groaned and rolled his eyes, sighing obnoxiously before staring at the teenager. _"You_ try answering repetitive questions you don't know the answer to, Red!" He shot back with a sneer. For a moment he began to have second thoughts about helping out, as it was a rather stressful process. He shook the thought out of his head. His human emotions wouldn't allow him to opt out of this after he had gotten Soos' hopes up so high. Even worse, backing down would only earn Bill disapproval from Ford. _More_ disapproval that he didn't need on his back at the time.

"Sorry dude." Soos muttered, looking away awkwardly.

Bill pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. "You're fine, kid. I'm just..." He began, stopping himself before he spoke. He just shook his head. "Nevermind." He muttered.

Wendy was skeptical of the demon's stopped explanation. She wondered for a moment if Bill was hiding something from the group. She had even assumed perhaps he was hiding an important bit of the plan. It was_ Bill,_ after all, and Wendy sure didn't trust him very much, if at all. However, her assumption didn't seem reasonable for long- as Bill's tone of voice seemed to have a more personal ring to it when he had spoken. She looked over at Ford, who went back to writing in his notepad.

Bill took the amulet from off his neck and looked down at it. He looked over at Melody and sighed. He too began to wonder what would happen if the plan didn't work correctly. He wondered if his effort was only stirring up more disappointment. Normally he wouldn't exactly care, however he owed it to Soos to give it a shot. And though Bill wasn't responsible for Melody's death, a part of him still felt as if it were his fault.

"Well," Bill began hesitantly, "I guess there's no point in hesitating." He said, looking at Soos once more. Ford looked up from his notepad at the words, yet no one seemed to notice.

"S-So what do we do?" Soos asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill looked over at Melody and pointed at the grass in front of her before looking back at Soos. The demon wore a serious facial expression. "We need to get her on level ground, we should move her to the grass." He said.

"Do we have, like, a blanket or something?" Soos asked as he walked over to his girlfriend. "Melody always hated that weird scratchy feeling you get after laying or sitting down in grass." He said.

Wendy nodded at Soos' statement. "Plus, she's wearing white shorts. The grass could stain those pretty easily." She added.

Bill rolled his eyes. "If anyone had a blanket, it would be you, Question Mark. You're the one with a truck." He pointed out.

"Oh, right!" Soos said with a chuckle. He walked over to his truck and looked in the front seat, back seat, back of the truck, yet he couldn't find a blanket. This didn't come as much of a surprise to him, as he didn't remember a time where he had kept a blanket in his car.

Soos looked back over at Bill. "Sorry dude, I don't have one." He apologized.

Bill hummed. "What about you, Red?" He asked.

"Sorry man." Wendy said, shaking her head.

Bill just sighed. "Well then where would we-" He began in confusion before looking over at Ford. His eyes widened when he saw the scientist wore his lab coat overtop his turtleneck. Ford noticed three sets of eyes on him and looked back at the others in confusion. He scratched the back of his neck in an awkward manner.

Wendy looked at the old man. "Hey dude, can we borrow that?" She asked.

"Borrow?" Ford repeated, tilting his head. "Borrow what?" He questioned.

Bill pointed at his coat. "Your lab coat." He answered.

Ford tossed his notepad aside into the back of Soos' truck. He looked down at his arms as he shrugged the garment off his body. Ford grasped his coat in one hand and handed it over to Bill.

Bill took the coat from the other man. "Thanks." He muttered. He handed the coat to Soos, who walked over towards Melody. Soos got down on one knee and placed the coat atop the grass, flattening it out. He then grabbed Melody and placed her down atop the coat.

Soos looked over at Bill. "Now what?" He asked.

"Now..." Bill began, walking over towards Melody and kneeling beside Soos. "This is where I take over." He announced. "Everyone back away." He commanded, an arm behind him as he clutched the amulet in his hand with a bit of force. A blue light surrounded his palm, which Bill smirked at. He took his spare hand over towards Melody's chin, and gently moved the woman's jaw to open her mouth.

Bill remembered how when he had taken the remainder of Melody's soul to heal in the amulet, what he assumed to be her 'life' left from her mouth and floated towards the amulet. Bill assumed that if he reversed the action, the same smoke could leave the amulet and float back into her mouth similar to what had happened at the hospital.

He held the amulet up close by Melody whilst placing a hand atop her stomach as a blue light emerged from his palm. Soos gasped at the sight and assumed it was flame. He was about to run up to Bill to stop the process when Ford extended an arm beside him to block the handyman from moving any closer. Ford turned his head to look at Soos and shook his head.

"B-But-!" Soos sputtered in fear.

"It's not fire." Ford assured.

Soos was skeptical for a moment, however he knew that Ford wouldn't lie about this. And even if he would, Soos had heard from multiple people that Ford was terrible at lying. Soos sighed and took a step back. Ford looked back over at Bill and put his arms behind his back.

Wendy's eyes widened at the sight. She was surprised that Bill was actually helping rather than making the situation worse. Her question was why. Why was he doing this?

_Bill doesn't care about people. _Wendy thought. _He only cares about himself. He only does something if it benefits him. So why is he helping? _Wendy had several questions she wished to ask about the current situation, though she knew that now _certainly_ wasn't the right time to do so.

Bill looked at the amulet as the light blue substance emerged from the amulet and floated away from the jewel. He grinned at the sight all until the point where the light began to spread around the air rather than into Melody's mouth. Bill gasped at the sight and coughed when part of the smoke-like substance entered his mouth. He clutched his chest and lost his grip on the amulet. He quickly placed his hands on the ground to prevent himself from falling over.

"Bill, W-What's wrong, dawg?" Soos asked, a look of concern on his face. Ford didn't bother stopping the handyman when he walked over to Bill. He was more focused on the blue smoke floating around in the air, as was Wendy.

Bill wheezed and looked up at the sky, seeing the smoke spreading. "N-No!" He exclaimed in fear. "Th-That's not supposed to happen!"

"What do we do?" Soos asked, looking at Bill.

Bill looked back at the handyman, then up at the air. "I... I don't know." He admitted, remorse apparent in his eyes. "I don't think-" He began, but was interrupted by Soos.

"Aw dude, don't say there's nothing we can do!" Soos pleaded, putting his hands on his head.

Bill just looked at Soos for a moment before looking down at the ground under him. He shut his eyes and sighed. Soos understood what this meant and bit his lip.

Wendy and Ford walked over to the others. Wendy tried grabbing some of the blue smoke substance in her hands. When she assumed she had caught some, she got down on one knee and put her hands by Melody's mouth to force the dust inside. Wendy waited a moment before taking her hands away. The others looked on at the action in hope. Their hope was shattered when the smoke floated up out of Melody's mouth.

Bill groaned and clenched his fists. "Why didn't this work?" He muttered, mostly to himself. "This was _supposed_ to_ work!"_ He exclaimed in a louder pitch. He growled and slammed a fist on the ground. "Why isn't any of this working?" He shouted, his eyes turning red.

Soos looked at the man and was taken aback by how effected the demon seemed by this. He knew that Bill was trying to help, but he didn't know that the failing of the event would have_ this much_ of an affect on the man. Soos hesitantly put a hand around Bill's shoulder.

"It's okay." Soos tried assuring to no avail.

Bill shook his head and looked at Soos with a glare, his red eyes still apparent. "How can you say that?" He shot, anger rushing through him. "I_ told you_ this would work, and it_ didn't_. This is your_ girlfriend, _Question Mark! How can you _possibly_ say something so positive in such a negative situation?" He asked, fighting the urge to punch the grass once more.

"You never said it would work," Soos retorted in attempt to make the man feel better. "You were never completely sure on what would happen. It's not like you _promised_ this would work or anything. Don't be so hard on yourself." He said.

Bill's eyes returned to their normal yellow shade. There was no point in denying it- because by the end of the day, he knew that Soos was right. He had never _promised _anything, not was he fully confident the plan would work correctly. Bill sighed and grabbed the amulet in the palm of his hand, standing up now. He looked at Ford and walked over to the man. Ford looked at the demon and glanced at the amulet in his hand.

"Do you have any ideas?" Bill asked.

Ford shook his head at the question. "If anyone would know, it would be you." He said in a calm manner. "Surely you've had some experience with viewing or instructing this to someone in the past, haven't you?" He asked, tilting his head.

Bill huffed at the question. "Well, I hate to break it to ya' here IQ, but I don't exactly_ have_ that knowledge anymore." He pointed out, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford folded his arms at the remark. "Did you ever consider, perhaps, that certain knowledge would _stay_ if you were to have participated in a specific act, or taught someone?" He questioned.

Bill thought about that question for a moment, looking away. After a moment of pondering the question, he sighed. "No." He admitted in a muttered tone.

Wendy continued to look around in the air at the smoke as it continued to drift away. She pondered multiple ideas and theories in her head (A trait that had rubbed onto her ever since the twins had visited Gravity Falls) and wondered if there was something, _anything_ that could possibly make this work.

_There has to be a solution._ Wendy thought to herself. _This is Gravity Falls, there's gotta be more to this. _

Ford looked over at Wendy and noticed the girl was in deep thought. However it wasn't grief- no, she looked as if to be questioning something big. Being the informed scientist he is, Ford hesitantly walked up to the teenager and tilted his head to look at her eyes. Wendy noticed the maneuver and raised an eyebrow whilst making eye contact with the old man.

"Is everything okay?" Ford questioned.

Wendy didn't hesitate to nod in response, though she wasn't too sure herself. Ford was skeptical, however decided to give the teenager some space. He took a step back before departing to where he had previously stood. Before he could walk away, he heard a feminine voice calling his name.

Wendy looked back at Ford and put her hands in her jean pockets. "Actually," She began, "I had a thought. It's stupid and I know it won't work. In fact, it's a pretty bad idea." She admitted, looking away.

Ford put a hand on Wendy's shoulder, cauing the teenager to look back at him once more. "At this point," Ford began, "All ideas are good ideas."

Wendy folded her arms and sighed. She remembered a time when Mabel had said those exact same words. "Well," Wendy began, unsure of if what she was about to recommend would be anything close to effective.

* * *

_"Hah!" _Stanley exclaimed with a wide grin as he watched on at the wrestling program that was playing on the living room tv. Brock, too, giggled in an evil-like way as one man put the other in a chokehold.

"This is great!" Stan, who had changed into his ordinary grey tank top and blue boxers as of recently, exclaimed with a smile. Stan somewhat carefully grabbed Brock from under his arms and held the child up off his lap to look at him. Brock was dressed in a blue hoodie and soft grey pants, along with orange, green, and white striped socks. Stan was surprised that Soos had already gotten the child an outfit being that the baby was currently no older than just a few days old. Brock flung his arms around and giggled.

Stan kept his grin. "Just you and me, kiddo! Don't know what your dad's doin', though." He said. Stan had seemed to have forgotten that Wendy and Bill were still supposed to be working.

Brock raised his nose in the air slightly, a tingly feeling in his nose suddenly appearing. This was a sense little Brock had never before experienced, which caused him to fear the sensation. Brock parted his lips and opened his mouth slightly as he tilted his head back, as if doing so would get rid of the feeling.

Stan questioned the odd behavior displayed by the child he was still curently holding in front of him. "Kid?" He asked. Stan was rather quick to realize that Brock was about to sneeze, and his eyes widened. "Kid, what're ya'-!" Stan exclaimed, squinting his eyes shut as he heard a sneeze sounding like a kitten come from Brock. Stan groaned at the disgusting feeling of the mob of miniature saliva particles that now surrounded his face. He gagged at the feeling of mucus sliding down the slide of his face.

Brock looked at the old man with wide eyes. For a moment he had questioned why the man had a change of facial expressions from what he had gotten used to from earlier. However Brock found Stan's facial expression to be quite a funny one, resulting to the child merely giggling in response to the situation.

Stan opened his eyes slightly, silently grateful that his glasses had helped protect his eyes from the fluid projected. He took the glasses from off his face and cringed at the sight of small saliva drops littering the lenses of his glasses. He pulled Brock close in his arms and used the child's jacket to clean the saliva off his glasses.

Brock looked down at his jacket in confusion. Why was the man wiping the odd reflective frames he wore atop his face on his stomach? For a bit he wondered if the old man was trying to turn_ him_ into a strange reflective frame. Brock whimpered at the thought of possible danger as his bottom lip quivered.

Stan used his spare hand to place his glasses back on his face. He buried his head inside his tank top as he wiped the saliva from off his face before looking back up at the tv. He looked down to see Brock whimpering and raised an eyebrow.

"Uh..." Stan blurted out in alarm when he had realized that the baby was about to cry. He didn't know how to stop a baby from crying! What was he to do now? Before Brock could begin his fit, Stan slowly rocked him in his arms, hoping that doing so would cause an effect other than crying.

Brock looked up at the man as he slowly began to feel his eyelids getting heavy. Stan saw Brock yawn as the baby shifted in his arms. His eyes widened when Brock rested his little head atop Stan, burying his face in the old man's chest before peacefully drifting off to sleep.

_Holy makerel__! _Stan thought to himself. _Hah! I just stopped a kid from cryin'! Just wait until Pointdexter hears about this! _

Stan remained on the couch, smiling down at the baby as he turned down the tv. He looked over at the 'Employee's only' door and watched as Fiddleford emerged from the gift shop. Stan began to wonder where hw had been all day.

"Hiya, Stan-" Fiddleford greeted in a normal tone of voice. Stan's eyes widened at the man and shushed him from across the room. Fiddleford raised an eyebrow until realizing the child resting in Stan's arms.

"Hey, Fidds! Get a load of _this!" _Stan whisper-shouted, pointing a finger from his now spare arm down at Brock who slept peacefully in his other.

Fiddleford gasped and gave a warm smile. Hesitantly, he walked up to Stan and Brock and adjusted his glasses. "Aww," Fiddleford muttered, his smile still apparent. "Now that right there's somethin' ye' don't see everyday." He said, gently patting the child on the head before folding his arms.

"Ain't it?" Stan asked with a grin. "He was gonna' cry, but I put him ta' sleep instead."

McGucket's eyes widened at the information. "W-Wait, ye' knocked a _newborn _out cold?" He asked in horror.

"What?" Stan asked. "No, I rocked him ta' sleep." He assured with an eye roll.

Fiddleford gave a sigh of relief at the confirmation. "Heh... Right." He said, feeling foolish for asking such a ridiculous question. Then again, this _was _Stanley whom he was thinking of. Stan had a reputation of being quite an unpredictable person.

Fiddleford and Stan turned to look at the door frame as Mabel poked her head out after coming downstairs from her room. She looked at Fiddleford and smiled. She was glad that he had taken quite a liking to the makeover that she had given him to where he now wore it regularly. She turned to Stan and widened her eyes at the sight of Brock sleeping peacefully in his arms and against his chest.

"Oh my gosh!" Mabel beamed in a hushed tone. "Hold on!" She said before running off. Stan and McGucket exchanged glances at the strange disappearance of the girl. Mabel was quick to come back with a camera in hand. Before Stan could protest, Mabel snapped a photo of Stan and Brock. She took a second photo with the plan of giving it to Soos.

"Scrapbooker-tunity!" Mabel said with a giggle. She was about to show Stan the photos until the three heard the ringing of the gift shops bell that ring when someone entered.

Mabel gasped and grinned. "That must be them!" She exclaimed. "I wonder if they got her back!"

"Her?" Stan and Fiddleford questioned in unison. Clearly they had not been informed on the situation.

Without hesitation, Mabel ran off into the gift shop. Stan looked at Fiddleford with a look of confusion. "Uhh..," He began. "What, are ya' gonna go follow and see what she's talkin' about?" He asked.

"Er... Sure." Fiddleford responded with a shrug. With that, he followed after Mabel.

When Mabel entered the gift shop, she saw Wendy and Ford enter first. They looked to be in a hurry, Mabel just wasn't sure of why. Bill followed after the two.

"You're back!" Mabel exclaimed with a grin.

"I'm afraid we'll only be here for a bit, my dear." Ford responded.

Mabel questioned the statement. "Where are you going?" She asked. "And... Where's Soos? And Melody?" She continued to question.

"Soos stayed where we were earlier as to not lose our location." Ford responded. He looked around the gift shop in confusion. "Now... Where does Stan keep the vacuum?" He asked himself aloud.

Bill pointed behind the gift shop counter. "Behind there." He responded. Wendy nodded in confirmation. Ford walked behind the counter and was quick to notice the device.

"Ah, there it is." Ford said, grabbing the vacuum and setting it beside the counter. He opted not to wonder why it was stored under the counter, of all places.

Mabel looked down at the photos in her hand and walked over to Bill. She extended an arm with one of the photographs out to the demon. Bill looked down and raised an eyebrow. _Why is she handing me a piece of paper?_ He asked himself.

"It's a photo," Mabel began as if she had just read the man's mind. Bill began to wonder if the girl obtained such an ability. Regardless, he took the photo from Mabel, looking down at it and noticing the humans in the photo. The photo displayed an image of Stan on the couch with Brock in his arms.

Bill looked down at Mabel in confusion. "What's this for?" He asked.

"For Soos!" Mabel answered with a smile. "Can you give it to him?" He asked.

"I don't know, Shooting Star..." Bill began hesitantly, "Do ya' think I could use this for blackmailing Fez instead?"

"As great as that would be, I think giving it to Soos is for the greater good." Mabel retorted with a shake of her head.

"Fair enough." Bill said with a shrug. Everyone in the room turned to the 'Employee's only' door when Stan walked into the room. He still held Brock with him, though he pretended as if the child weren't in his arms at the moment.

Ford tilted his head at his brother's calm behavior. "Stanley, how in the _world_ did you manage to calm a newborn to where he fell asleep peacefully?" He asked in a hushed tone, though surprised.

"Oh, this little guy?" Stan asked, looking down at Brock for a split second before looking back at his brother. "He just kinda crashed." He said with a shrug. Brock shifted at the sudden movement by the man, and Stan looked down at the baby in surprise. Brock's eyes fluttered open slowly. He squinted his eyes at the bright light of the room, causing his bottom lip to quiver.

"Aw jeez," Stan muttered, noticing how Brock looked ready to throw a fit at any moment. "Anyone know how ta' stop a baby from cryin'?" He asked, looking at the people in the room. Ford and Wendy shook their heads at the question.

"Glitter?" Mabel asked, not confident that her answer was the right one.

Stan shook his head at the suggestion. "Nah, we need somethin' more... normal." He muttered. "You, uh, Fiddlenit, you've had a kid before. What am I supposed ta' do?"

"Erm... give im' a pacifier?" Fiddleford suggested with a shrug.

"We don't got none." Stan said with a shake of his head. Ford was about to correct his brother's incorrect grammar, however everyone in the room turned to look at Bill when he raised a finger up hesitantly.

"Uh..." Bill began, a look of unease on his face as he felt eyes on him. "I know." He said.

The room was silent for a total of five seconds before Stan, McGucket and Wendy began bursting out laughing. Bill was taken aback by the sudden laughter, though it wasn't unusual._ I guess I should have expected that._ Bill thought to himself. He turned to look at Ford. The scientist wasn't laughing, however he had a look of both skepticism and anxiety. Bill frowned and sighed, folding his arms.

Mabel put her hands on her hips and glared at the three laughing in the room. "What's wrong with you all?" She practically shouted in anger and disbelief. The sudden question that had been asked caused the three to freeze in unison. They all looked at Mabel with wide-eyes, as if they had forgotten how powerful the girl could become in a situation. Even Brock looked over at the girl, his bottom lip quivering a bit more slow now.

Mabel sighed and lowered her tone. "Come on guys, just give him a chance." She pleaded, holding both her hands out to the side of her as if presenting something. Bill looked down at Mabel with wide eyes.

"Shooting Star, you don't need to-" Bill began, but stopped when Mabel narrowed her eyes up at the man.

"Hush, you!" Mabel chided. Bill rolled his eyes at the order, however he did as told and kept his mouth shut. Mabel turned to look at Stan. "Grunkle Stan, give Bill the baby." She commanded, pointing a finger at Bill.

"Come on dude," Wendy began, deciding to step into the conversation. "Bill could, like, shove a rock down the kid's throat." She pointed out, folding her arms.

Mabel rolled her eyes. "Does it look like Bill has any rocks?" She asked. As if on cue, four pebbles fell out of Bill's yellow T-shirt sleeve. Mabel looked down at the pebbles, then up at Bill. The demon chuckled awkwardly before drawing his eyes towards the floor.

"O...kay, just because he has rocks doesn't mean he was planning on doing something like that!" Mabel attempted to defend.

Brock looked at the pebbles on the ground, his eyes widening. He took a hand and lazily extended an arm out as if to grab it from where he was. His bottom lip quivered when his plan to grab the pebbles failed. His breathing got heavy as his eyes began to shine against the light. Stan looked down at the baby and cringed when the boy began to cry.

"Holy Mackerel, fine, fine!" Stan said, holding the baby out in front of him. "If it'll make the little squirt to quit that racket, then do whatever you're gonna do." He said. With that, Bill walked over to Stan. He held his arms out and carefully grabbed the child.

Bill looked down at the kid. "Silence, meatsack!" He commanded.

Ford glared. _"That's_ your plan?" He asked with an eye roll. Brock opened his eyes and was facing Ford when he had heard the first voice. Brock assumed it had been Ford that had spoken and began crying once more.

Bill narrowed his eyes at Ford before looking down at the child. Hesitantly, he grabbed Brock's left wrist, rubbing the child's palm with his thumb in a gentle manner. This caused Brock to quiet his crying, however he was still whimpering. Brock opened his eyes slowly, his eyes widening at the sight of Bill's shiny yellow ones. The baby was quick to giggle at the sight, taking his hands and putting them up above him as if to grab the unusual eyes. Bill squinted his eyes each time Brock tried to grab for his eyes, though he was glad he had gotten the child to stop crying.

Bill turned to Ford and smirked. "How's that for a plan?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. He turned to Wendy with the same smirk. "You got anything to say _now_, Red?" He asked. Wendy huffed and folded her arms, looking away from the demon.

Mabel squealed in glee and smiled. "Oh my gosh, you did it!" She said with a grin.

"Eh, I picked up a couple techniques." Bill said with a shrug. "Apparently the little fleshbag likes rubs on the palm of his hand." He said.

Ford looked at the time and cringed. "We should get back to the forest, Soos is still waiting on us." He said. Ford looked at McGucket. "You're welcome to come along if you'd like, Fiddleford." He offered.

"Ooh, can I come?" Mabel asked.

Ford looked at the girl in a hesitant manner. "...Mabel, I'm not sure if this is something you should be dealing with." He said.

Mabel frowned at the answer given. "But-" She began, however Ford spoke before she could continue.

"Perhaps you could spend some time with Dipper." Ford said with a shrug. "It seems as though the two of you haven't spent much time together recently." He added, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill turned his head to look at Ford once the scientist had finished speaking. "Do ya' think we should take Timmy- Er... Brock?" He asked. It would take a bit for Bill to get used to the name.

Ford had to think about this for a moment. Even though it seemed a bit dangerous, he figured that Soos would be better off with his son in his arms if this were to go wrong. After a moment, Stanford looked at Bill once more. "That would be wise." He said. Bill nodded and walked out of the gift shop with Brock in his arms when he saw Ford grab the vacuum cleaner.

Wendy looked at the mechanical device and sighed. She put her hands in her pockets and held the door open for Ford and McGucket. She shut the gift shop door behind the others and looked down at the ground as she walked to Soos' truck. The handyman had borrowed the truck to Ford so that the three could get to the shack and back faster.

_This is stupid._ Wendy thought to herself._ This isn't going to work... I don't know why I suggested it in the first place. _

* * *

"Is it working?" Soos asked the group moments after they returned.

"Well," Bill, who stood beside Soos away from the rest of the group, began. "This circular barrier I set up with my magic was able to keep all the smoke in just in time. And even if some of it got away, I don't think it would matter." He said, "But just because the barrier is working like it's supposed to, that doesn't mean Ice Bag's idea is going to work." He said, folding his arms and watching as Ford, Wendy, and Fiddleford examined the vacuum cleaner, trying to get it to work.

"Then again," Bill continued, "I have more confidence of this barrier breaking before they get that thing turned on than I do for this stupid plan of Red's." He said with an eye roll, folding his arms.

Soos hummed. "My question is why they're trying to make a vacuum cleaner turn on when they don't even have it plugged in to an outlet." He muttered, watching as the three messed with the vacuum from afar. "Kinda makes you wonder how well the plan was thought out in the first place." He said with a chuckle.

Bill snickered. "They look like idiots-" He commented, but stopped mid sentence. He froze for a moment with wide eyes, and turned his head to look at Soos. "What did you say?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"That what they're doing would make someone wonder how well the plan was thought out?" Soos repeated as if he had asked a question.

Bill shook his head dismissively. "Na-no, before that." He responded.

"That it's confusing why they're trying to make a vacuum work without an outlet?" Soos asked. Bill nodded, and Soos was confused on why Bill had wished for him to repeat his question. Bill sparked a flame from his palm for a split second before burning it out. Soos gasped at the realization and grinned.

Fiddleford narrowed his eyes at the vacuum. "Hmm..." He said aloud with narrowed eyes.

"They make these things much more complicated than they used to be." Ford said, placing his hands on his hips.

Bill walked over to the group and unwinded the cord from the back of the vacuum cleaner. He lit his hand in a blue shock flame and held the cord in his hand. He looked at Ford with an unamused look on his face when the vacuum started up. "Ya' know, IQ, out of the 12 PhD's you've obtained in your lifetime, I would think you'd know that _vacuum cleaners don't work in the forest!"_ He shouted with a huff.

"I knew this idea was stupid." Wendy groaned, face palming.

"You should be lucky you have me here, because otherwise, this would have been a waste of time." Bill continued. "Now that I think about it, by the time you idiots would have figured out why this thing wouldn't work, Melody would already be dead!" He said. "Again!"

Wendy narrowed her eyes at Bill. "Look dude, I don't see _you_ with a better plan." She said, folding her arms.

"I had a great plan!" Bill shot back with a glare.

"A great plan that didn't work." Wendy reminded, putting her hands on her hips.

Ford walked up between the two and folded his arms. "Calm down. Both of you." He said, looking at one to the other as he spoke.

Fiddleford looked out in the distance, seeing a small piece of paper flowing in the distance. "Heh?" He asked aloud, tilting his head. He looked at everyone in the barrier to see them all arguing. Soos walked up in an attempt to calm the others down like Ford had previously attempted, though Ford had seemed to get himself wound up in the argument with the other two.

Fiddleford looked back at the small paper, then the sky. The clouds were gray, and it looked as if it could rain at any moment. Seeing that the other four were all 'talking', McGucket decided to step out of the blue barrier and retrieve the distant paper.

"Well at least I don't have dumb hair!" Bill told Wendy with a glare.

"At least I'm not a yellow-eyed _freak!" _Wendy shot back, glaring.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "Are you trying to use that against me?" He asked. "I'm the king of freaks!" He said.

"Until you got outsmarted by Stan." Soos said with a simple shrug, not trying to get into the argument intentionally.

"Stay out of this, Question Mark!" Bill sneered.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "Would everyone tone down the bickering? None of this is going to help in getting Melody's soul back into her body." He pointed out.

"What, you're just gonna let them _offend me _like this?" Bill asked Ford with wide eyes.

"Honestly Bill, I really couldn't care less right now." Ford responded.

"I'm not surprised," Bill muttered, looking away with his arms folded. "Because it's pretty obvious you don't give a f- about me anymore." He said.

Ford's eyes widened. Soos gasped at the language and covered Brock's ears, even though he wouldn't be able to understand the word regardless. Ford was surprised by the comment Bill had made. While a part of him wanted to let Bill know that he _did _still care, he just couldn't bring himself to say the right words. Or, any at all, for that matter.

"Dude," Wendy began, breaking the silence. "Ever since you used him thirty years ago, I don't think he's ever cared." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"And what would you know to support that thought, Red?" Bill asked with a glare, clenching his fists.

"He's probably been using you." Wendy said with a simple shrug. Bill raised an eyebrow, and Wendy continued. "You know, using your magic, using your knowledge, using your help for lab stuff, using your body." She said.

"Ford would _never."_ Bill said, narrowing his eyes at the teenager. The fact that he had said the scientists real name surprised himself for a moment, however he kept staring at the girl with a look that was _daring her _to continue speaking.

Bill continued, "Sixer's a lot of things, but he wouldn't do something like that to someone. Not even to me." He stated, adding the last bit with a mutter.

"Really?" Wendy asked, pushing on. "Because it seems like what happened on _Christmas _was just him-" She continued, but was cut off.

_"That's irrelevant!" _Bill and Ford shot back in unison, their cold glares on Wendy. Ford and Bill looked at each other for a total of two seconds before looking away, each of their arms folded.

Soos looked at the group in complete confusion. He decided not to say anything. The last thing he wanted was to stir the pot. Whatever was going on- he probably didn't want to know anyway.

Wendy noticed the long silence. She sighed. "Look guys, sorry for losing my cool. I-I don't know what came over me." She said, looking down at her hands.

Ford took a couple hesitant steps back. "I'll... Be back." He announced before stepping out of the blue barrier. There were a few raindrops falling from the sky, which Ford didn't seem to mind. Rain had normally been quite a calming thing for him in the past.

He walked off a bit, over to a large rock beside a tree. To his left, he had a clear view of the barrier, as well as the people inside it. To his right, he watched as Fiddleford looked to be chasing after something. He opted not to wonder what it was.

Ford sighed and looked down at his feet, and the patch of grass underneath him. _Using Bill? _He thought to himself. _Where in the world is she getting all of this? _The question remained unsolved to him. He just didn't understand what had made the teenager think such things of him. Did Wendy honestly see him as that kind of man?

His thoughts were interrupted when he saw Bill walking towards him. Ford was quick to look away from the blonde as the other man continued to walk towards him. Ford wasn't interested in making conversation with the demon at the moment, if at all. He was quick to realize that regardless of his opinion, Bill had other plans.

Bill stood in front of Ford, folding his arms. He waited somewhat patiently for the scientist to so much as _look at him. _After a minute of waiting, Bill understood that his wish wouldn't be granted.

"Is it true?" Bill finally asked in a hesitant manner.

At hearing the question, Ford finally turned to look at the demon, however he remained in his position of leaning against the tree. He raised an eyebrow. "Can you be more specific?" Ford asked.

"Was any of what Ice Bag said true?" Bill restated.

"Are you believing it to be?" Ford questioned.

"Don't change the question, Stanford." Bill said with narrowed eyes, his hands on his hips. "Tell me- was what Red said about you just using me real?" He asked.

Ford adjusted his glasses and put his hands in his lab coat pockets. "I had hoped you'd have known that I'm not the kind of man who would simply _use _another person, regardless of the context." He responded, placing his hands behind his back before continuing. Bill let the man speak. "Do you remember several months back when I had said that I wasn't the 'revenge -type'?" Ford asked Bill.

Bill nodded slowly in response. "Yeah, b-but that's different." He claimed.

_"Is it _now?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow once more. "I believe the question you had asked was if I was using you, your question basing off when Wendy had mentioned the past times." He stated.

"You're avoiding the other part." Bill said. He took a couple steps closer to Ford, causing the scientist to back up against the tree once more. Ford cringed at the stinging pain inflicted on his back by the rough bark of the tree. Bill looked the other man dead in the eyes before speaking. "I'm not just talking about my _power, _I'm not just talking about my not-so-all-knowing knowledge, I'm talking about the more _personal details._" He said.

Ford couldn't find himself to look away from the other. He hoped that there was a way out of this situation. He hoped that Bill would avoid questioning him further, and he sure as hell didn't want to lead Bill on with things he may say. What had happened in the kitchen a few days ago had severely let Ford's guard down, and he couldn't afford to have anything similar happen again.

Bill _couldn't _know that Ford still cared for him. He _couldn't _know just how Ford had felt when he had witnessed the nurse at the hospital's lips trace along Bill's, regardless of if the transaction was merely a CPR attempt.

And besides- even if Ford _did _want to explain his emotional state to the other man, he knew that he _couldn't. _Doing so would likely do nothing but make matters worse. Being that Bill had just (Technically) gotten out of a relationship with another person, Ford wasn't sure how Bill felt about his ex girlfriend. The woman who had claimed Bill as her own, the woman whom Bill had kissed multiple times -and, quite likely- slept and had _sex _with.

"I'm just... _Curious." _Bill admitted hesitantly, finally looking away for a moment before looking back at Ford. "Did it matter? Did _any _of it matter to you?" He asked the other man.

Ford knew _exactly _what Bill was getting at. Though some part of him thought it would be a rational idea to stall. "Explain?" Ford asked, a hint of awkwardness in his voice.

Bill rolled his eyes. He took both his hands and grabbed the sides of Ford's lab coat up by his neck, pulling the scientist close to the point where their noses were nearly touching. However the two were just far enough away to where their eyesight wouldn't go blurry whilst looking at each other. Ford was taken aback by the sudden move pulled by the other man, and for a moment he had thought that Bill was attempting to embrace him for a kiss. Luckily for Ford, this was not the case.

"Did it matter to you when I let my guard down around you?" Bill began in a firm manner, his grip on Ford's coat tightening as he clenched his fists harder. "Did it matter when I told you that you were the _only _human I trusted? The only human I'll _ever _trust?" He asked, staring Ford dead in the eyes once more. Ford was about to say something, but Bill wasn't done. "Did it matter to you when we _kissed?_" Bill questioned in a softer tone, a tone Ford wasn't used to hearing from the other man at _all._

Ford was hesitant. After a moment, it seemed to Bill as if he would give him no answer. Bill glared at this. "Answer me!" He demanded with wide eyes, shaking Ford for a second as he tried to force a response.

Stanford looked at Bill, grabbing his wrists. Bill looked at Ford, the scientists face calm for no more than two seconds before he shoved Bill away from him slightly.

"Don't touch me, _Cipher." _Ford commanded with narrowed eyes, a glare forming.

Bill mirrored the facial expression and put his hands on his hips. "Then answer my question, Stanford! Did any of it matter to you?" He asked.

Ford put his hands behind his back, looking at the other man before speaking. "Well..." He began in a hesitant manner. He lifted his chin up slightly, looking down at the other man. "It _used _to." He stated.

Bill's heart stung at this. Sure, it was more than he was expecting, but the fact that what they truly could have had was gone was a lot to take in. Bill cursed his human emotions for making him experience such feelings. He would skip out on them all of he could. Unfortunately for him, that wouldn't be possible at his state of form.

"And now?" Bill asked, figuring he might as well get the whole truth rather than a slice of it.

Ford looked at the amulet that hung around Bill's neck and grabbed hold of it, swiftly yanking the necklace off the blonde. Bill gasped and looked at the amulet that Ford now held in his six fingered hand. Ford held it in the palm of his hand, holding it out beside him and looking at the demon with yet another glare.

"Look at this." Ford commanded. _"Look _at this amulet and tell me what's it's done in your possession. It_ could_ have been used for good, but you opted to go with the complete opposite and use it to effect others in the most _bitter _of ways." He said, looking at the demon with disgust.

"Do you know _why _I did all of that?" Bill asked, attempting to grab the amulet once more. Ford pulled the amulet away which enraged Bill. He looked at Ford once more. "Did you ever take the time to_ actually_ listen to my reasoning?"

"Do I _have to?" _Ford shot back, raising an eyebrow. "Honestly, Bill. I don't see any point in listening to your absurd explanations." He stated.

Bill scoffed at the response and shoved Ford back against the tree, however this time it was out of rage. Stanford tilted his head back and groaned at the sudden move. He glared at Bill and felt the urge to push back. Ford took a step closer to Bill and shoved the demon in response to the others attack. Bill nearly tumbled to the ground had he not kept his balance just in time.

Bill dove at the man. Ford dodged the attack just in time, causing Bill to slam into the tree. Bill shot a glare at the scientist and reached for the amulet.

"Give it back, you idiot!" Bill commanded.

"Oh, you want this back, do you?" Ford mused, holding the necklace high in the air. Before Bill could react, Stanford turned behind him and looked into the distance. He took the amulet and tossed it far away, far to the point where it landed just outside the barrier.

Bill's mouth hung open. "What was that for?" He asked.

"To _remind you _of the task at hand." Ford answered.

Bill raised an eyebrow in confusion before making the realization that they were yet to come up with a solution to Melody's state. "Oh man, I completely forgot!" Bill groaned. He along with Ford began to make their way to the barrier. The surroundings were not damp, in fact the rain clouds had seemed to completely pass by their area, only leaving a few raindrops here and there around their location.

Meanwhile, Fiddleford had finally caught up to the scrap of paper flowing in the wind. He grabbed hold of it and was quick to realize that it was a photograph of Stan and Brock; the same photo which Bill had been specifically instructed by Mabel to give to Soos.

Fiddleford turned around and saw Soos and Wendy still in the barrier, uselessly waving the vacuum cleaner in the air. Fiddleford began to run behind him to give the photograph to Soos.

At this point, Bill, Ford, and McGucket were all dashing towards the barrier at once. Bill looked at the barrier to see it flickering. He stopped running and put an arm out beside him to stop Ford from moving. Ford raised an eyebrow and looked at Bill.

"Wh-?" Ford tried to question.

"Look." Bill said, pointing at the barrier. "It's fading away. The barrier I set up is disappearing, and it won't be able to work any longer." He said as Fiddleford continued to run towards the barrier.

"Couldn't you simply make a new one?" Ford questioned.

Bill just rolled his eyes. "Ya' know, I hate to inform you, _smart guy, _but I'm not exactly a magic machine. Making the first barrier drained most of my power, making a new one would be next to impossible." He said before the two continued to head towards the barrier.

Fiddleford, at this time, was frantically waving the photograph in his hand. "Hey! Hey!" He exclaimed, hoping Soos would notice him dashing towards the barrier. "This here photograph is 'fer ye', Soos!" He said, completely unaware of the amulet that lay on the ground just a few feet away from him.

Bill and Ford gasped in unison at the sight. "Fiddleford, _stop!" _Ford exclaimed in fear.

"Stop running!" Bill shouted with wide eyes.

Fiddleford looked over at the two as he continued to run. "Heh?" McGucket blurted out in confusion. Ford and Bill's eyes got increasingly large as they witnessed the situation they could do nothing about. By the time Fiddleford looked down at his feet, it has been too late as his foot came crashing down onto the amulet, the old man gasping at the sound of the shattering amulet.

_Smash._

Bill shook his head in disbelief, his mouth wide open._ "No..." _He muttered to himself, slowly walking over to the shattered pieces of the amulet. _"No, no, no, nonono..." _He continued, standing in front of the broken necklace and getting down on his knees.

Fiddleford's eyes widened as he looked down at the amulet he had unintentionally "Aw shucks..." He muttered, putting a hand stop his forehead.

Bill took hold of a few shards from the amulet. "It's broken..." He said. He looked up at Fiddleford and glared, standing up now with his fists clenched. "What are we supposed to do _now?" _He asked, his eyes turning red.

Fiddleford yelped in surprise at the demon's sudden mood change. "I-I didn't mean no harm." McGucket said, a tone of guilt apparent in his voice.

The barrier faded, causing Soos and Wendy to look over at the others in confusion. Wendy set down the vacuum cleaner and carefully grabbed Brock whilst Soos picked up Melody in a bridal style manner. The two walked over to the others.

Bill didn't seem to acknowledge the others now standing there. He turned to Ford, his glare hardening. "And _you-" _Bill continued, walking over to Ford and putting his hands in the scientists hair, gripping it tight with a force Bill had never seemed to have used. Ford looked at the demon in surprise as the other man brought Ford's face close to his, the glare on the demon's face still apparent.

"This is _your fault_ too, you dimwit!" Bill said, narrowing his eyes at Ford.

Stanford was stunned. When had Bill obtained such strength? Regardless of his questions, he grabbed Bill's shoulders and pushed the blonde away, not bothering to respond to the other man's statement.

Wendy looked down at the crushed amulet and cringed. "Ohh man, that's not good." She commented.

"Dudes, what happened?" Soos asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill turned to look at Soos. "Oh, I'll _tell you _what happened," He told Soos before glaring at Fiddleford and Stanford. He pointed at the two old men. "Those idiots happened! Sixer threw the amulet, then Fiddlesticks stepped on it and shattered it into what it is now!" He said.

"Calm down, man." Wendy said to Bill, noticing the demon's red eyes.

Bill glared at the teenager. "Calm down?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"What can we do?" Soos asked, looking down at Melody's dead body that he currently held.

Bill looked back at Soos once more, seeing the look of optimism in his eyes, and yet a glimmer of agony. Bill's eyes went back to yellow, and he sighed. "There's nothing we_ can_ do." He muttered, looking away.

"W-What?" Soos asked. He was hesitant to continue speaking. "But... there's gotta be something, right?" He asked.

Bill looked at Soos and took a step closer to the man. "Look around you, Soos," He began bitterly, putting an arm behind him to indicate the presence of the broken amulet. He continued to look at the handyman. "We all know how you see things, how you try to imagine and think positive even in the worst situations. Heck, even when the _world_ was ending, you labeled yourself the _'handyman of the apocalypse'!_" He stated, putting his hands on his hips.

Soos looked at the demon, a hint of sadness in his eyes now. "What are you saying?" Soos slowly asked.

Bill just scoffed. "The world isn't a positive place, Question Mark. No matter how you see things, no matter what you do, and no matter who's there by your side, there's always treachery and grief behind everything we do. And there's _nothing_ we can do about it." He said, looking at the man with a firm look on his face.

Soos just bit his lip. "Do... Do you think we could fix it with duct tape?" He asked.

Bill looked at him with a deadpan look on his face. He was stunned by the question, and it took him a moment to respond to the absolutely ridiculous question._ "Duct tape?" _Bill repeated in complete disbelief. Soos nodded slowly, and Bill glared at the man. "Look at the amulet! Look at it! Look at the tiny shards!" He commanded, a cold glare still apparent on his face.

While everyone was looking at either Soos or Bill, McGucket took a glance at the tiny turquoise shards. The tiny pieces of the broken jewel were rising from the ground slightly. The old man gasped as teal smoke rose from the shards. His eyes widened and he pointed at the sight. "Look at the tiny shards!" Fiddleford repeated in surprise.

Everyone turned to look at McGucket, then at the shards. Wendy and Ford looked at the smoke rising, the same smoke that had been released when Bill had attempted to return the smoke to Melody in the first place. Soos' eyes widened at the sight, along with Bill and the others. Bill's mouth hung open in complete disbelief and confusion. _What's going on? _Bill asked himself, though he could think of no answer.

The shards began to fall back down to the ground, whilst the teal smoke began to grow. The smoke formed into a thick line in the air that was the height of approximately six feet. Everyone took a step back as the smoke shot sideways, the line of color dashing over in Soos' direction. The handyman's eyes widened in alarm and looked as the smoke line curved up in the air sideways, coming down to land towards Melody. The smoke entered the woman's mouth in a rush. Melody's back curved as her head tilted back in a fast motion.

The others all looked at Soos and the woman whom he held in her arms. The remainder of the teal smoke filled Melody's mouth. Fiddleford, Wendy, Bill, Ford, and Soos all looked at the woman's state, no one daring to make a sound.

Soos nearly jumped back when he felt the brushing of another's skin against his arms as Melody shifted weakly against him. He gasped at the sight of his girlfriend's shut eyelids fluttering open. This was the first time he had seen Melody conscious in _days. _What a relief it was to be able to look at her beautiful eyes once more...

The woman coughed a hoarse cough as a hint of black smoke emerged from her mouth, making its way over towards the shattered amulet on the ground. The amulet lost its teal color and instead changed to pitch black.

Melody squinted her eyes at the light of her surroundings. She shifted and hissed in pain at the sore feeling by her stomach. She clutched her stomach and bit her lip. Ford was quick to remove his lab coat, rushing over to a tree to Soos' left and placing his coat atop the patch of grass. Soos looked to his left and rushed over towards said tree, placing his girlfriend against it.

Soos got on his knees and cupped his hands in one of Melody's. "You... You're alive!" He exclaimed in surprise.

Melody wheezed in pain and put her spare hand atop her neck. "My throat..." She forced out, trying to speak. Her throat was incredibly dry, making it difficult for her to speak.

Soos quickly turned to look behind him. "Mr. Pines, can you get a bottle of water from my truck?" He asked.

Ford was quick to nod, rushing over to the truck and hopping in the back to retrieve the requested item. Soos looked back at Melody, brushing the hair out of the woman's eyes.

Bill, out of everyone, was surprised most._ What just happened?_ He asked himself. _How... How did this happen? It doesn't make any sense..._

Ford walked up to Soos and handed him the water he had requested. Soos thanked the older man and opened it, handing the plastic bottle to his girlfriend. Melody brought the beverage up towards her lips, sighing in relief as the water hit her tongue and slid down her throat. She made quick work of the water and ended up downing the majority of it.

Fiddleford walked up to the couple hesitantly. He looked at the photograph he still held in his hand and gave it to Soos.

"Mabel wanted ye' ta' have this." Fiddleford said as Soos looked at the photograph. The image brought a smile to the handyman's face. He handed the photograph to Melody, who glanced at the image.

Melody gave a weak smile. "That's... our baby. Right?" She asked.

Soos nodded. "Yeah, he-" The handyman tried to continue, but stopped and widened his eyes when Melody gasped sharply, frantically looking around. She looked at her stomach and back up around her surroundings, ignoring the pain in her lower stomach.

"Where's our child?" Melody fearfully asked, looking at Soos.

Soos grabbed Melody's hand in attempt to comfort his girlfriend. "It's okay, Wendy has him." He assured.

Melody calmed down and looked at Soos. "Him?" She repeated, tilting her head slightly. Soos nodded at the question as Wendy walked over towards the others who surrounded the young couple. She carefully took Brock out of her arms and handed the baby to his mother. Melody looked down at the child with a teary smile, pulling her child close in her arms. Brock had been wrapped back up in his blue blanket overtop his ordinary clothes sometime during Bill's encounter with Ford.

"He has your nose." Melody said, looking up at Soos.

Soos nodded and took the small blue hood off the baby's head, revealing his short, light brown hair that matched Melody's.

Melody's eyes widened at the sight. She embraced the child close to her as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Bill was left confused. With his arms folded, he hesitantly leaned over to mutter in Fiddleford's ear. "Hey, Fidds?" He began. McGucket looked at the demon and raised an eyebrow. Bill continued. "Why is she crying?" He asked the other man.

Fiddleford gave Bill a pat on the shoulder and smiled before looking back at the young couple. "Those there tears aren't from sadness. She's happy." He informed, adjusting his tie and putting his hands behind his back.

_"Happy_ tears?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow in clear confusion. "Is that even a thing?" He asked.

Fiddleford merely chuckled at the question. "Ye' may have been human for a while now, but you've still got a lot ta' learn." He said.

"Little Sam." Melody began with a smile. She looked up at Soos. "You know, maybe that name isn't so bad after all." She said with a small shrug.

Soos' mouth hung open at the statement. "Uh..." Soos muttered, looking away awkwardly. "Actually," He continued, scratching the back of his neck and looking at Melody. "I went with your idea and named him Brock." He said with an awkward chuckle.

"You did?" Melody asked.

"Yeah." Soos said hesitantly. "You... You're not mad, right?" He asked.

Melody shook her head at the silly question. "Of course not!" She said with a chuckle. "Even if you named him Felipe, it wouldn't make a difference." She said with a smile.

Soos nodded and smiled. "You're right, all that matters is that we're all together now." He said, embracing his girlfriend in a gentle hug. Melody smiled and gave Soos a short yet sweet peck on the cheek. Soos' face flushed at the kiss received knowing that there were eyes watching them from behind.

After a bit of bonding, Soos stood up, holding a hand out to assist Melody in standing. The woman held Brock close with one hand, using her other arm to grab Soos' extended one. She bit her lip at the sore feeling in her lower stomach, though she tried her best to ignore it. Soos, however, noticed Melody's slight limping and swiftly grabbed his girlfriend, picking her up bridal style. The sudden action alarmed Melody, though it wasn't unwanted. She smiled and leaned her head atop her boyfriend's shoulder, holding Brock close in her spare arm.

"Let's go home!" Fiddleford exclaimed with a wide grin. The others nodded in agreement to the statement the smaller man had spoken aloud. Ford walked over to the tree and grabbed his lab coat, putting the garment back on.

Soos turned to look at the others. "You dudes need rides?" He asked. Wendy agreed and thanked her coworker for the offer, whilst the others kindly declined. They figured that the Mystery Shack as close enough distance to where they wouldn't have trouble walking. Soos nodded. "Suit yourselves." He said with a chuckle.

"Hey," Melody began in confusion, looking over in the distance. "Why is there a vacuum cleaner in the middle of the woods?" She asked.

The others looked over at the vacuum cleaner that they had left. Wendy scratched the back of her neck, chuckling awkwardly. "Oh yeah, uh... that was my idea." She admitted. "It's a long story." She said, rushing over to retrieve the mechanical device.

Bill put his hands on his hips. "Those nutjobs had the lovely hypothesis that sucking up the smoke from the air and then shoving the vacuum cleaner's tube down your throat would bring ya' back to life." He answered with an eye roll, pointing at Wendy and Ford.

_That would explain the dry throat I had. _Melody thought to herself. Her mouth hung open at the strange reasoning. "...I'm not gonna bother asking." She said, looking up at Soos. Her boyfriend just shrugged.

Soos walked over to his truck as McGucket and Bill began walking in the direction of the Mystery Shack, Ford walking shortly behind him. Stanford felt a hand on his arm from behind, and turned around in confusion. He looked behind him in alarm, only to see Wendy looking at him. The teenager looked at him before looking away awkwardly.

"Look man," Wendy began, folding her arms and looking back at the old man. "I...I'm sorry for what I said earlier. It wasn't cool." She admitted, hanging her head in shame.

Ford wasn't sure how to respond to the apology. He merely adjusted his glasses. "...Do I really seem like that kind of person?" He asked, not in a scolding way, only from mere curiosity.

"No," Wendy assured, shaking her head. "I don't know what I was thinking. I mean, I know I've been upset recently, but I shouldn't have taken my anger out like that." She said. "I didn't mean to put words in your mouth like that. Sorry, dude." She apologized.

Ford put his hands in his lab coat pockets and shrugged. "Believe it or not, I know how you feel. Everyone makes mistakes." He said.

"So... we cool?" Wendy asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ford cringed at the strange phrasing of the question. He assumed it was some new teenage slang and nodded slowly. "Well, yes. I suppose 'we cool'." He said, making an air quote gesture with his fingers, a look of unease apparent on his face as he spoke the horrifyingly incorrect grammar.

Wendy smiled. "Sweet!" She exclaimed. "Well, see ya' later, Fordster." She said before rushing over to Soos' truck, hopping in the back of the truck.

_Fordster._ Ford thought to himself. _What a strange nickname. Though even more strange, I don't quite mind it. _

Fiddleford looked behind him in the distance and waved at Ford. "Hey, Stanford! Are ye' coming?" He asked.

Ford turned around to see the others walking back towards the shack. He was quick to nod at the question asked, walking over to the other men. Fiddleford noticed Ford coming over and glanced at Bill, who seemed to be pondering a thought. Fidds cleared his throat, catching Bill's attention.

"What?" Bill asked in a partially annoyed tone.

Fiddleford put his hands in his dress pant pockets. "I, eh... I-I don't mean to seem like an eavesdropper, but I noticed that you and Stanford looked like ye' were arguing for a while earlier. Is everythin' okay?" He asked.

Bill sighed and shrugged. "Sixer seems to be doing just fine." He muttered with an eye roll, folding his arms.

"And you?" Fiddleford questioned further, raising an eyebrow. Bill turned to look at the other man. He was about to speak, however he heard Ford walking up behind them and looked forward once more, deciding not to answer. Fiddleford just hummed, looking down at the path beneath them. He glanced behind him for a moment and looked at Ford, who seemed like his ordinary self. He looked back at Bill who had a hint of hurt in his eyes. It was clear to McGucket that Bill was trying to hide his emotional state, however the demon didn't seem to fool Fiddleford. He too had wore that same expression before.

**Well, there's that! Quite a lot of mixed emotions in this chapter. Hopefully I got all of it somewhat accurate. Just to clarify- Ford still cares about Bill (Hopefully I made that obvious enough in this chapter) However he refuses to let Bill know that. He figured it's better to be left alone and ignored completely. As for Bill, he wants nothing more than to know how Ford really feels. And right now, he thinks that Ford's better without him****.**

**I hope everyone is glad that Melody's back. In fact- my plan from before she died was to bring her back. I apologize for being evil with the angst, but I just couldn't resist! As for the amulet, it's gone now. Useless. But it served a good purpose and was able to bring Melody back to life after all! And actually, had McGucket _not _accidently smash it, Melody would still be dead, as her 'soul' was basically trapped inside the amulet healing. (Does that even make sense..?) **

**As for the vacuum cleaner bit, I honestly thought it was a rather stupid thing to add into the chapter, however if I didn't the whole plot would have gone elsewhere which wouldn't be good, as I have a lot planned for the future. **

**I had to leave this chapter on a happy note after all the drama and emotion that was shoved into it. The next chapter will be... interesting. xD**


	39. Operation Allure Is A- Oh

**I've come to you all with yet another chapter! First of all, I'm considering taking part of the title of this story out a bit, making it "Welcome Home" Without the Billford tag along with it. The reason for this is that "Billford" is already stated in the description of this fic, and I don't feel that it's necessary to list twice. Also, for the sequel of this story (Whenever the heck that'll be- however I have very small bits of it planned.) I have a title in mind, making it something like, "Welcome Home: This again!" As a reference to the "My mummy's a werewolf" movies from the show. I don't know, do you think I should just make it "Welcome Home" Instead of "Welcome Home- Billford"? **

**Second of all, this chapter has quite a bit of Mabel and Bill bonding, because everyone needs a friend! xD **

**(And because it'll have a big impact on the plot of this story. Why, you may ask? Well... you'll see.)**

**Here is chapter 39 of 'Welcome Home'!**

When Bill, Fiddleford, and Ford returned to the Mystery Shack after a long day in the woods, they stood outside for a moment before heading inside. The three all wondered what they would say when the twins and Stan were to ask what they had been doing all afternoon. The sun was setting, which only gave Stan one more reason to complain. Ford, however, wasn't too worried. Surely Stan wouldn't ask too many questions, right?

_Wrong._ Ford thought to himself as he stood in the kitchen before a ranting Stan.

"You've been away all afternoon!" Stan began with his hands on his hips, narrowed eyes on his brother. Ford leaned against the doorframe with his arms folded, an unamused look on his face as Stan ranted. "The sun's settin', Pointdexter. You'd better have a good reason for taking both my employee's off work all day." He said.

"I have a completely valid reason," Ford said, "In fact, I'm sure you'd forget about ranting to me if I told you what happened." He stated.

_"Really?"_ Stan asked, not convinced. "Doubt that."

Ford adjusted his glasses. "What if I told you that Melody's death is no longer a problem?" He asked.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "What are ya' talking about?" He asked with a glare directed towards Ford. "Ya' _clearly_ have no idea how hard this is for Soos if you've got the nerve to come in here sayin' something like _that."_ He said, sneering at his brother.

"That's not what I mean," Ford assured, putting his hands up slightly. "What I meant was..." He continued. "She's no longer dead."

Stanley was left very confused by this information. He tilted his head. "What're you talkin' about, Stanford?" He asked.

"Melody is alive." Ford restated with a nod of his head.

Stan's eyes widened. "You serious?" He questioned.

Ford rolled his eyes. "Why on earth would I say so otherwise?" He asked.

"Dunno." Stan admitted with a shrug of his shoulders. He turned around and was quick to grab a Pitt cola from the fridge. He turned to look at his brother. "Ya' want one?" He asked, to which Ford declined. Stan shut the fridge and opened the soda can. "Suit yourself." He said before taking a swig of the cold beverage.

Ford put his hands in his lab coat pockets. "Out of curiosity, when are the twins' parents expected to return from their trip?" He asked Stan.

"A week." Stan answered. "6 days."

"That's not a week, Stan." Ford pointed out.

Stanley rolled his eyes. "For cryin' out loud, _Stanford._ I could tell ya' the sky is blue and you'd argue with me." He stated.

"Actually," Ford began, pointing a finger up, his other hand behind his back. "The real color of the sky is what we see at night. The sky doesn't actually have color, it's transparent. The skies nitrogen and oxygen components are colorless. The reason the sky appears to be blue is due to the lights reflective-" He continued to retort, only for Stan to groan obnoxiously.

"Yeah, yeah. Whatever, nerd." Stan said with a dismissive wave of his hand, walking out of the kitchen before the conversation could go any further. As he passed by his brother he said, "Ya' should get some sleep, Ford. You've been stayin' up too late with that dumb dagger thing the past few nights." He said.

"Right..." Ford muttered with a nod of his head, running a hand through his hair. In a matter of moments, his eyes widened. Ford turned to look behind him. "Wait, how did you know that?" He asked his brother.

Stan turned around. "Ya' make it pretty obvious, Pointdexter. You look like ya' could fall asleep any second." He stated, taking another sip of his soda before emerging to the living room.

Ford hummed. _I suppose Stanley is correct. If the twins only have six days left, I would hate to have too low of energy. _With that, he walked into the gift shop, entering the vending machine to head downstairs.

* * *

The next morning, Mabel was first to wake up. She looked beside her to see Dipper still fast asleep. The clock read 5:30, which was very early for someone like herself. The only person bound to be awake in the household at this time was Ford, though he had seemed to retire to sleep early the night before, so her Grunkles schedule was quite unpredictable.

Mabel pulled the covers overtop her, attempting to go back to sleep. She tossed and turned around in her bed, trying to find a comfortable place to lie down. She tried flipping the pillow around. Nope. She tried fluffing the pillow. Nope. She tried sleeping the other way. Nope. Mabel had even tried sleeping on the other side of her bed. Still no. The teenager groaned at this as sleep seemed to fail her, and opted to wake up early for the morning.

Mabel walked to the bathroom to brush her teeth and change for the day. She wore a light pink sweater with two hearts that looked like watermelons sewn onto the garment. She opted to wear a green skirt and headband to go along with the look.

The girl quietly skipped down the hall, tip-toeing down the stairs as to not make noise that would wake up the others in the household whom were still fast asleep. The lights in the house were all turned off, however the rooms were lighted by the orange-colored sunlight shining in from the windows of the house. Mabel heard a cup being placed down on the counter in the kitchen, which quickly sparked her curiosity.

Mabel hesitantly walked over to the kitchen, peeking through the doorframe to see Bill pouring a cup of Mabel-juice. She wondered why the demon was pouring the overly-sugared beverage into a mug._ I thought everyone hated that stuff!_ Mabel thought to herself. However the sight caused her to smile, knowing that her creation was appreciated by _someone. _Bill screwed the lid back on the bottle and opened the fridge, placing the remainder of the beverage back in hopes that the girl wouldn't notice that part of the beverage had gone missing.

As Bill placed the bottle back in the fridge, Mabel tip-toed up to Bill and stood behind him. Grinning, she took her index finger and extended it out, poking the man's belly button. "Poke!" She said with a wide smile.

Bill's eyes widened at the sudden attack._ "Aaghh!" _He exclaimed, letting out an inhuman cry of fear. He slammed the fridge door and leaned against it, his heart racing as he looked around the kitchen in alarm. His eyes turned red to hide his fear of being caught. When Bill looked down, he noticed Mabel standing in front of him. Bill sighed in relief, his eyes returning back to their original state.

Bill huffed and put his hands on his hips. _"Crackers,_ kid!" He began, looking at the teenager with wide eyes. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you still be sleeping?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well... yeah," Mabel admitted in more of a mutter. "But I couldn't sleep!" She defended, looking up at the demon once more.

"Eh, that makes two of us." Bill said with a shrug. He glanced at the mug on the counter and moved it away slightly, quickly putting his hands behind his back and laughing awkwardly.

"I didn't know you liked Mabel juice!" Mabel said with a grin. Bill frowned at knowing that the girl had caught him. Mabel sighed. "Everyone else hates it." She muttered, folding her arms and looking away.

Bill saw Mabel's frown and scratched the back of his neck. "W-Well, they're wrong." He said, hoping to at least cheer the girl up.

"Do you really think so?" Mabel asked.

Bill nodded with a smirk. "You kidding? I know so. I used to know _all!"_ He said with a grin. He looked at the mug on the counter. "Besides, that stuff's the only stuff keeping me sane." He added.

"...What do you mean?" Mabel questioned in concern.

Bill ran a hand through his hair. "Look kid, ya' want me to be honest?" He asked. Mabel nodded, to which Bill continued. "This... all of this, it's not right." Bill said, extending his arms besides him and looking down at himself. "This body, this new form, this lifestyle... it doesn't seem right. Not for me." He admitted with a sigh.

Mabel gave a sympathetic frown. "Aww, Bill... I'm so sorry." She said, holding her arms out and hugging the demon. Bill's eyes widened at the hug. Why was she hugging him? What was the point? Mabel put her hands behind her back and looked at the blonde. "You know, I'm sure things will get better." She assured.

Bill scoffed. "Right." He muttered, folding his arms and looking away.

"I know you didn't get the choice of becoming a human, but it's not all bad!" Mabel encouraged with a small smile. "You've got me, Grunkle Ford, even Grunkle Stan- Well, kinda." She said.

Bill leaned on the fridge and shook his head. "Nah, your Grunkles couldn't care less about me." He stated in a bitter manner.

"That's not true!" Mabel retorted. "Grunkle Ford was_ really_ worried about you when you ran away."

"Was." Bill muttered to himself.

Mabel turned to look at the doorframe of the kitchen when Waddles came running into the kitchen. The pig began biting at Mabel's sweater to get the girl's attention. Mabel got down on one knee, raising an eyebrow.

"What is it, Waddles?" Mabel asked. When Waddles began running out of the kitchen, Mabel figured she wouldn't get her answer until she followed the pig. She waved a quick goodbye to Bill and rushed out of the kitchen, making a sharp turn towards the living room. She stopped with wide eyes and gasped when she ran straight into Ford, crashing into him. Her uncle kept his balance and grabbed the girl's shoulders, placing her back a bit, putting his hands on his hips as he looked down at his niece.

"Mabel Pines, what on _earth_ are you doing awake?" Ford, who was wearing grey pants and his ordinary maroon turtleneck, chided. He raised an eyebrow. "It's much too early to be running around the house." He stated.

Bill, who remained in the kitchen, cringed at the sudden voice of the scientist. He feared what would happen were Ford to enter the kitchen.

"Sorry, Grunkle Ford." Mabel apologized. "I couldn't sleep." She said.

Ford hummed. "Well, I see you've already gotten ready for the day." He muttered, folding his arms.

"Y-You're not gonna tell Grunkle Stan, are you?" Mabel asked, hope in her eyes as she looked up at her uncle.

"What?" Ford asked, chuckling. "No, that's absurd." He stated.

Mabel grinned, giving Ford a quick hug. "Thanks, Grunkle Ford!" She said before heading off into the living room.

Bill listened in and heard the sound of footsteps walking away. He saw this as his chance to leave before Ford could come back. Bill ran to the doorframe, glad that Ford had left rather than entering the kitchen.

Or so he thought.

Bill ran to the doorframe, crashing into Ford and giving him an unintentional punch to the stomach with one of his fists. During the collision, their foreheads slammed against each other. Bill took a step back, holding his head and groaning in pain. Ford held his head with one hand, placing his other arm to place atop his stomach.

Ford groaned, squinting his eyes shut at the sudden pain rushing through his head. "You too? How many people in this household am I _literally_ going to run into this morning?" He asked aloud, mainly to himself.

Bill too groaned at the pain in his head. "This isn't hilarious. Why isn't this hilarious?" He asked, putting his hands up in front of him. He hissed at the pain circling his knuckles when he unclenched his fists. "Jeez, Sixer. Do ya' have a metal plate in your stomach, too?" He asked, holding the hand that had collided with the other man's torso.

"What are you doing awake?" Ford asked, opening his eyes as the pain began to fade. "It's yet to turn 6:00 in the morning." He stated.

"Couldn't sleep." Bill answered.

Ford narrowed his eyes. "That's funny, Mabel said the exact same thing." He said, folding his arms and leaning on the doorframe. "Mind explaining the truth?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill shot a glare at Ford, ignoring the odd pain that he _didn't_ find humorous. "What could I _possibly_ be lying about here, smart guy?" He asked, rolling his eyes.

"You have a record of being quite unpredictable." Ford answered.

Bill smirked. "Compliment taken!" He said. Ford gave an unamused look at the response to his statement. Bill looked at Ford once more. "Seriously though, what's with your stomach?" He asked.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about?" He asked. Bill took a hand and grabbed the bottom of Ford's sweater, lifting it up hesitantly. Ford's eyes widened at the action. He grabbed Bill's wrist with one hand whilst pulling his sweater back down before any of his skin could be exposed.

Ford shot a glare. "What are you doing?" He roared, putting his hands on his hips.

"I was just-" Bill began, only to be cut off by the other man.

"My skin is _not_ to be exposed in such a manner." Ford bellowed with folded arms. "I will not tolerate showing such a hidden part of me." He stated. _Besides, I don't need one more reason to be called a freak. _

Bill just raised an eyebrow. "...Are you okay?" He asked, looking at Ford as if he were a crazy person.

"Of course," Ford said, walking into the kitchen. "Are you assuming otherwise?" He questioned.

Bill shifted before speaking. "...No." He lied.

"Good," Ford said, walking to the coffee maker. He got the supplies out of the cabinet above him, placing the items down on the counter. He grabbed a coffee filter, placing it in its correct spot in the machine. He felt the presence of eyes watching him from behind, causing him to turn his head. Sure enough, Bill was still standing there, watching him.

"What?" Ford asked.

Bill shook his head slowly. "Nothing." He muttered, folding his arms and walking away.

Mabel, who was on the living room floor with Waddles, looked up at Bill as he walked towards the gift shop. She saw the small frown on the demon's face- it was a facial expression that was very rare for someone like Bill. He always seemed to be filled with energy in Mabel's eyes. She watched Bill and tilted her head in confusion.

"Bill?" Mabel called out. "Are you okay?" She asked, concerned.

Said demon turned to look at the girl. "Yeah, why?" He asked, hoping to change the subject as soon as possible.

Mabel hummed at the response. She could tell when someone was upset, however she didn't wish to push further into the discussion; this was Bill after all. And who knows how he would respond to her extra concern. "Okay." She muttered. Her eyes lit up, a grin suddenly plastering along her face. "Wait-wait-wait!" She called, extending an arm out before Bill could depart into the gift shop.

Bill turned to look at Mabel once more. This time he merely put his hands on his hips. Mabel kept her grin. "Do you wanna learn how to make a sweater?" She asked.

Bill looked away, his mouth hanging open slightly as he stood at a loss for words. He looked down at the teenager. "I don't know, Shooting Star. I don't think I'd be very good at it." He said.

"You don't have to be!" Mabel encouraged with a smile. "It's not about making something good, what matters is the amount of effort you put into it!" She said, holding up a couple balls of yarn in her hands.

"Well, I'm not sure I'd put much effort into it, either." Bill responded.

Mabel frowned. "Aw, come on! It'll be fun!" She tried.

"Uh... Maybe later." Bill said. His eyes widened and he immediately regretted his response to the statement. Mabel squealed in glee, grinning. Bill just sighed.

"Later, like, when Grunkle Ford, Dipper and McGucket go on their adventure?" She asked.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Adventure? I was never told they were doing that." He said, folding his arms.

"Yeah, Grunkle Ford didn't tell me about it, either. Dip-dop was the one who told me about it last night." Mabel informed. Waddles rubbed his face against the girl's sweater sleeve, causing her to giggle and boop the pigs nose.

* * *

"Oh my gosh, I'm so excited!" Dipper said with a grin, at around 1:00 in the afternoon. Lunch had just finished, and all Dipper had to do now was wait for Ford and McGucket to come back up from the laboratory.

Stan, who sat on the couch, looked over at Dipper. "Excited for what?" He asked.

"Ford, McGucket and me are all going on a trip to the forest!" Dipper responded with a smile, slinging his tan backpack over his shoulder.

The two in the living room turned to look at the 'Employee's only' door as said men emerged from the lab.

"McGucket and _I_," Ford corrected with a small smile. Dipper looked at his uncle and returned the smile. Stan just rolled his eyes. Sure, his brother was the biggest nerd in the household, though sometimes he wondered what _exactly_ Ford got out of correcting one's grammar. Ford looked down at Dipper as the boy stood up. "Are you ready to go, Dipper?"

Stan just groaned, tilting his head back on the couch chair before looking over at Ford. "Seriously Pointdexter, can't ya' go one week without going on some nerd adventure.

"Nope!" Dipper, Fiddleford, and Ford responded in unison, wide grins plastered along each of their faces.

"And isn't your outfit too fancy for travelin', Fidds?" Stan asked, folding his arms.

Fiddleford just shrugged. "A lil' dirt never did no harm." He responded.

"Fair enough." Stan muttered. Though he would never admit it, Stan too thought that Mabel had done a nice job of giving Fiddleford a new style. He looked back at Ford. "Hey, aren't ya' gonna take that demon along with?" Stan asked his brother.

Ford shifted at the question. He adjusted his glasses, clearing his throat before responding. "I-uh, I'm not sure he'd be too interested in what we're going to go see." He said, scratching the back of his neck and looking away.

Stan scoffed. "Bluffin'." He muttered. He looked over at the doorframe and gave a smug grin. He shouted from the room._ "Hey Blondie!"_ He exclaimed with a wide grin.

Dipper's eyes widened. "Grunkle Stan, don't!" He pleaded, his voice cracking as he spoke. Fiddleford looked up at Ford, who just pinched the bridge of his nose, sighing.

It took no more than ten seconds for Bill to come downstairs. He walked into the living room and looked at Stan with an unamused groan. "Don't tell me you're gonna make me work on a Saturday." Bill grumbled, leaning on the wall.

"Not this time," Stan assured. He smirked at Ford before looking back at Bill. Stan would be much happier to have Bill become Ford's responsibility rather than his own whilst the three were out for the afternoon. "Actually," Stan continued. "These three nerds were meaning to ask ya' if you wanted to join em' on their little quest for adventure." He said, looking over at Ford with the same smirk. Ford gave a quick death stare towards his brother before looking at Bill.

Dipper cleared his throat a bit louder than necessary. "Or not, you know." He said with an awkward chuckle. "I mean, _seriously."_ He said, giving the demon a blank look.

"It's quite boring, actually." Ford added, looking away in an awkward manner. Fiddleford stood silently, and while he considered calling the other two out for excluding the demon, he decided against it.

Fiddleford just shrugged. "I don' mind either way." He said to Bill.

Bill looked at the three and gave an awkward chuckle, noting that he wasn't well welcomed on the adventure. His bottom eyelids raised as he looked away. "Hehe... Uh, actually," He began, running a hand through his hair. "I already had plans for making a sweater with Shooting Star." He said, hoping that the excuse would get him out of the awkward situation.

"Good." Dipper muttered, folding his arms.

The four in the room watched as Bill departed back upstairs. Moments later, they could hear the muffled yelling of Bill as he shouted, _"Shooting Star, where's the yarn?" _

Stan scoffed and looked at his brother, shaking his head in a disapproving manner. Ford noticed the look and raised an eyebrow. Stan just rolled his eyes. "Come _on,_ Sixer. I know no one really likes 'im, but you out of all the nerds in this house have the most stable friendship with him." He stated.

Noticing the tension in the room, Fiddleford nodded slowly in agreement. "Ye' know, he's got a point there, Stanford." He said, looking at the other man. Ford looked down at McGucket as the other continued. "Stan tolerates im', but no one would go as far as to say they're friends." He began.

"True." Stan confirmed.

"An' Dipper can hardly stand bein' in the same room as 'im." Fiddleford continued.

"Accurate." Dipper said without hesitation.

"Sure, Mabel an' Bill have a bit of a friendship, but how often does she get the chance to visit Gravity Falls exactly?" Fiddleford added as if it were a question.

Ford's mouth hung open slightly at the statements. He stood frozen, not knowing how to reasonably respond to the statements. It seemed to him as if all eyes in the room were now staring at him. He ran a hand through his hair, awkwardly adjusting his glasses as he drew his eyes away from the others. Under his breath, he muttered, "I really don't need this right now..."

Regardless of the situation, the three as well as Stan walked over to the door. Dipper grabbed hold of the backpack over his shoulder, McGucket held onto his notepad and pen, and Ford adjusted the black strap across his chest.

Stan opened the door for the ground. "Have fun, nerds. And be back by 7:00." He said, pointing a finger at Ford to let his brother know that he was in charge of Dipper's safety. Dipper and McGucket left first, Ford following behind. Ford stopped and the door and turned towards Stanley.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "Ya' goin' or what?" He asked, rather impatiently.

"Stan, keep an eye on Bill." Ford began. "Who knows what he may try to do while I'm out of the house." He said.

"Yeah, he might try to put a fork in the microwave or something." Stan said in a sarcastic manner.

Ford frowned, his face firm. "I'm serious, Stanley." He said.

"Yeah, Yeah," Stan said with a dismissive wave of his hand. "You three go along and have your little trip to Narnia." He said, somewhat gently pushing his brother out of the house. Ford turned around to say one more thing, however Stan slammed the door before he could speak. Ford rolled his eyes and opted not to confront his brother further. He had faith in Stanley to keep track of Bill and Mabel whilst he was away.

Stan sighed and walked back to the living room. Before he could sit down on the couch, he heard the phone ring. The old man grunted, walking over to the table at the other side of the room. He grabbed the red corded phone, picking it up and responding with an annoyed, "Hello?"

The man on the other line was a voice he didn't recognize. The man was informing Stan of a once-in-a-lifetime sight currently taking place at the Gravity Falls park.

Stan just grunted. "Look, I could care less about some dumb community gathering." He said. Stan was about to hand up the phone when he heard the man say something that_ really_ picked up his ears.

"What's that?" Stan asked, his eyes widening. "You're tellin' me that Lil' Gideon is stuck between the park's monkey bars?" He asked with a wide grin. "Hah! Can't pass up a chance to see that!" Stan said with a maniacal laugh, slamming the phone back down on its stand and rushing upstairs. He ran across the house, quickly slamming Dipper and Mabel's bedroom door open wide. Mabel and Bill looked at Stan in confusion.

"Grunkle Stan, what's wrong?" Mabel asked in concern.

"Nothin'!" Stan said, his large grin still apparent, his hands on his hips. "Listen, I'm goin' over to the Gravity Falls park for an hour. Na-no, two hours. Yeah, that's enough time to plan a blackmail." Stan said, rubbing his hands together mischievously with a smirk. "You kids gonna be okay here all alone?" Stan asked.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "Hey! Who you callin' kid,_ kid?"_ He asked, folding his arms.

Stan just rolled his eyes. "Sor-ry." He muttered, walking away and closing the twins' bedroom door behind him. He snickered as he walked back downstairs towards the gift shop. "I gotta find the camera!" He told himself. Surely Bill and Mabel would be fine home alone for a _bit,_ right?

Mabel and Bill looked at each other in confusion. "You got any idea what that's about?" Bill asked when Stan left the bedroom. Mabel shook her head at the question, to which Bill didn't reply. He looked down at the two knitting needles in his hands and scoffed when his nearly-completed knot untied. "Come on! I almost had that one!" He pouted with a groan.

"You'll get the hang of it eventually." Mabel encouraged.

Bill huffed. "That's what you said this morning." He muttered in annoyance.

"No one gets knitting a sweater perfect on their first try." Mabel stated.

"But this isn't even a sweater!" Bill shot back, narrowing his eyes at the small line of various knots that dangled down by the floor. "It's just a dumb line. It's like a thicker, worse version of string." He commented, pushing his excuse of a project away from him and folding his arms.

"Well, maybe it would work out better if you put love into it!" Mabel said, grinning at the idea.

Bill just raised an eyebrow. _"Love?"_ He asked. Mabel nodded with a smile. Bill squinting his eyes. _"Why?" _He asked, very little enthusiasm appearant in his voice.

Mabel shrugged, unraveling a bit more yarn for her to use as she knitted her work-in-progress sweater. "It's always seemed to help me!" She said with a smile. "Just think- what do you love?" She asked, looking at the demon with a grin.

Bill was taken aback by the question. "Uh..." He sputtered, not sure how to respond to such a question. "...Arson?" He asked, giving an awkward smile, assuming that 'arson' was a correct answer.

Mabel cringed at the answer. "O-kay... what about family? You love your family, right?" She asked.

"Don't have one." Bill responded in more of a mutter. He looked away with a small, regretful frown. "Not anymore."

Mabel gasped, putting her hands atop her forehead. "Really?" She asked. Bill nodded. _"Agh,_ that's so sad!" She said, her bottom lip quivering slightly. "What happened?" She asked, setting her project aside and putting her hands in her lap to show that Bill had her attention if he wished to tell the story.

Bill froze at the question. "I don't think it's something you'd understand." He said. "Besides, if I_ did_ tell you, you'd probably hate me._ Again."_ He added.

"It'll be impossible to hate you if you have a sad backstory!" Mabel retorted.

"Doubt that," Bill stated, folding his arms. "Ya' see... It's kinda my fault." He revealed.

"I'm sure that's not true!" Mabel said with a shake of her head.

Bill face palmed. "You're too positive for your own good." He groaned, tilting his head back and sliding his hand down his face. He looked back at the girl. "What I did was selfish. _Really_ selfish. If I ever got the chance to see my family again, they'd never forgive me." He said.

"...W-What did you do?" Mabel asked.

Bill sighed, closing his eyes for a total of three before looking over at the girl. "I burned it all down." He answered.

"Burned it? Burned what?" Mabel questioned. She silenced herself when Bill continued speaking.

"I burned my dimension. Seeking power." Bill continued, "It worked, but not well. I can't believe I was dumb enough to destroy the one place I could_ ever_ call home." He said. "If I'm being honest, I wish I could go back. If I would have known that I would have become this pathetic fleshbag, I never would have done it." He admitted. Bill looked at Mabel. "Look kid, ya' think we could keep this between us?" He asked. "I don't want people thinking I'm getting soft by regretting my actions." He muttered.

"I won't say a word!" Mabel said with a confirming nod of her head.

Bill offered the girl a small smile. "Thanks, Shooting Star." He said. There was silence for a moment, until Bill grinned, putting his hands on his hips. "Well, never mind all that!" He said with a dismissive laugh. "Let's talk about something better! Like fears, blackmail, explosions even!" He said with a quick maniacal laugh before returning his facial features to a blank look.

Mabel gasped and smiled. "Ooh, fears!" She said with a giggle. "I'll go first!" She volunteered. Bill shrugged, listening to the girl. He took the two knitting needles in his hands, attempting to make the correct knots as Mabel thought for a moment. Her eyes lit up. "Oh, I know!" She said. "My fears are old glass dolls, and Dipper's terrible singing!" She said.

"I don't blame ya', kid." Bill stated as he attempted to make a knot.

"Oh, and triangles." Mabel admitted, shivering at the thought.

Bill stared dead pan at the girl, his mouth wide open. He scoffed. "Okay, first of all, I'm _offended."_ He stated, knitting at a faster pace now. He wasn't looking at his progress as he knitted, he just looked at the girl with narrowed eyes.

Mabel's eyes widened when she realized what she had said. She put her hands over her mouth. "Oh my gosh, Bill! I'm so sorry!" She apologized. Bill could see the true remorse in the girl's eyes and knew that she didn't mean anything by it. Mabel looked at the man as she continued to knit once more. "What about you? What are your fears?" She asked.

"Me?" Bill asked. Mabel nodded. Bill narrowed his eyes, putting his project aside and rubbing his chin in thought. Eventually, a fear came to him. Synthesized music." He responded.

"That's it?" Mabel asked, tilting her head.

"Uh, yeah." Bill lied with a scoff. "I'm not some scaredy-cat." He said with an eye roll.

Mabel hummed and looked at the demon in suspicion. Bill noticed the girl looking at him and looked away uncomfortably. Why was she just staring at him? Bill looked back at the young teenager to see her still looking at him in a skeptical manner. Bill sighed, rolling his eyes. "Look kid, ya' want me to be honest?" He asked, to which Mabel nodded. Bill looked away. "I don't know, I don't wanna get all cheesy." Bill said, saying 'cheesy' as if it were a disease of some sort.

Mabel just snickered. "Are you _kidding?_ Have you _seen_ the movies I watch?" She asked.

Bill nodded slowly at the question the girl had asked. "Fair point." He muttered. "Well, if I'm being honest..." He muttered. Mabel nodded eagerly, on the edge of her figurative seat on the wooden floor as she waited for an answer from the other. Bill took in a sharp breath before forcing out the word, _"Love._ That's... that's my fear." He muttered, looking away with his arms folded, feeling stupid for even _saying_ such a thing.

"Really?" Mabel asked in surprise, in no way intending to sound judgmental. Bill nodded slowly. He grabbed his knitting project and began attempting knots once more as he looked at Mabel. Bill continued speaking, not really paying attention to his knitting progress, however still making motions in his hands with the needles.

"I'm scared of being alone again, but... I feel like something pathetic like love would do nothing but tear me apart and make me forget who I am." Bill continued. Mabel put a hand on her heart, having no idea that_ Bill Cipher _could say such things. The demon sighed. "I never thought I_ could_ love again. If at all." He said, muttering the last bit.

Mabel was surprised- did Bill really feel like this? Was he afraid of love? She began to wonder if something save family problems had messed with his past. _It seems like he doesn't intend to have love in his life._ Mabel thought to herself._ So... why did he say 'love _again_'? _She gasped._ Did he really love Karen? Or does he love someone else? _These were all questions Mabel couldn't find the answers to. She looked at Bill as the demon continued speaking.

_"That's_ why I was so mad at Sixer." Bill informed. Mabel raised an eyebrow, listening as Bill continued. He shrugged whilst speaking. "I thought he had betrayed my trust. I jumped to the_ crazy_ conclusion that he had used my new form to get revenge on me. _Acting_ to tolerate me. _Pretending_ to care about me. I-I thought your uncle had betrayed my trust of... feeling... stuff." Bill said, practically forcing out the last bit and cringing at the strange way he had put it.

Mabel hummed at the information. She never knew that Bill could think this deep about something like this. She began to remember what had gone down back in Crestfallen Cavern when Ford and Bill had a heated argument. She hadn't understood most of it, though she had assumed it was about drama between the two of them.

Bill sighed once more. "I_ know_ I deserve it. I _know_ that it's my fault. I _already know_ that he'll _never_ look at me the same after what I did." Bill continued, biting his lip before speaking yet again. "But... with all these human emotions I have to deal with now, it kinda hurt. It... No, it _really_ hurt..." He muttered. Bill looked away. "Especially what happened on Christmas." He added.

Mabel raised an eyebrow, finally opting to speak. "...Christmas?" She questioned.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, when we kissed." He said. Bill's eyes widened at the information he had just given away. He clasped his hands over his mouth, looking at the girl in horror. He immediately dropped his knitting project, looking at Mabel with wide eyes.

Mabel, however, wore a small smile that formed into a wide, surprised grin. "Wait, wait," She began, "You and Grunkle Ford _kissed?"_ She asked with a gasp.

_"N-No!"_ Bill sputtered, his heart racing. He felt like kicking himself for giving too much away so foolishly and oh so _easily. _He felt his face flushing slightly as his breathing became more consistent.

Mabel squealed a high pitch squeal, ignoring the response Bill had given to her question. "Oh my gosh, oh my _gosh!"_ She exclaimed, balling her hands into fists as her pupils got big in admiration and glee. Bill pinched the bridge of his nose as groaned at his stupidity. Mabel kept her grin. "Details!" She practically commanded, squealing once more.

"No way!" Bill said with a shake of his head.

"So you admit it?" Mabel asked with a gasp.

"Ye- w-wait, _No!"_ Bill said with a scoff. "You kidding? Human interactions are overrated. There's no way I'd... I'd..." He trailed on, looking at the girl as Mabel scooted closer to him. The girl grabbed Bill's yellow T-shirt, a small smile still on her face. Bill looked at the girl, gulping before saying, "Shooting Star, what are you-?"

"Have you kissed since then?" Mabel asked, shaking the man slightly. She just _had_ to know now.

Bill shook his head, placing his hands behind him to keep balance. "No." He admitted.

"Just that once, then?" Mabel asked, tilting her head.

"Yeah." Bill answered. He gasped and growled. _"Dang it!_ How'd you trick me like that, kid?" He asked in frustration.

Mabel giggled and let go of the demon's shirt, sitting back across from him. The girl shrugged. "Brainwashing, I guess? I dunno, It's like my superpower!" She said with a chuckle.

Bill huffed, running a hand through his hair. He wondered if the girl truly had possession of that power. Regardless of his confusion, he shot a glare at the fangirling Mabel across from him. "Listen here, Shooting Star," Bill began, pointing a finger at Mabel in a somewhat threatening manner, his eyes turning red in rage. "I _swear,_ if you tell absolutely _anyone_ about this, I'll _murder your bloodline!" _He threatened, shouting now.

Mabel didn't seem bothered by the statement _whatsoever._ She just gave a sly smirk. "But you'll spare Grunkle Ford, right?" She teased. Bill shot a glare at the girl. Mabel looked down at the wooden flooring, her eyes widening at Bill's abandoned project. "Woah!" She exclaimed in surprise, grabbing the project. Bill's eyes turned back to yellow, and he looked down at the project that she held in her hands. She looked up at Bill with a smile. "Bill, you did it!" She said with a grin.

"I... I did?" Bill asked, scratching his head in confusion. "What did I do this time?" He asked, assuming it was something he would get lectured or chided for later in the day.

Mabel held up the knitting project Bill had mindlessly worked on as he spoke. "You learned how to tie the knot!" She said. Bill grabbed the project from the girl's hands, looking at it himself. His slit pupils widened horizontally to the point where they almost looked like circles. "Holy crow, I did it!" He said, astonished with his work. He grinned and laughed mischievously, holding his creation up in the air. "I'm the king of yarn! Bow down to me,_ string!" _He commanded, pointing at the various yarn balls beside Mabel.

"That's amazing!" Mabel said to the demon.

Bill's eyes returned to normal. He grinned back at Mabel. "Yeah, and all I had to do is put my _loathing_ and_ grief_ of past situations into it!" He said with a maniacal laugh.

Mabel cringed at the reasoning. She waited a moment before giving a poor excuse of a smile. "...And love!" She added, chuckling awkwardly and opting to push the demon's reasoning's for his success at the yarn project out of the discussion. "Don't you see? You're _heartbroken!"_ She told Bill as if it were an accomplishment. She put an arm overtop her forehead in a dramatic manner. "Agh! A heartbroken soul! I know your pain, fellow human." She said, reaching a hand out towards Bill.

Bill folded his arms, narrowing his eyes when the teenager called him a _human._ "Once again, I'm offended." He muttered.

"I know what you need!" Mabel said with a grin. Bill looked back at the young teenager in confusion. "You need a matchmaker! Lucky for you, I happen to be a professional at matchmaking! I've gotten tons of people hooked up before!" She said with a giggle.

Bill shifted. "A... Matchmaker?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Am I supposed to know what that is?" He asked.

"I know how to get you and Grunkle Ford together!" Mabel said with a gleeful squeal. Bill cringed at the loud, nearly inhuman noise exclaimed by the girl. Mabel apologized for the noise, however she kept her smile. "I have the perfect plan!" She claimed.

Bill scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't know, Shooting Star. You only have six _days_ left until you have to leave. There's no way that Sixer is gonna have a change in heart in that amount of time." He said.

"Sure he will!" Mabel retorted with a smile. "You and Ford are like, best friends!" She said.

Bill scoffed. "You kiddin'? Sorry to sink your ship, Mabel, but your uncle kinda_ hates me_ now." He stated.

"Aw, come on!" Mabel said with a frown. "Six days are better than none, right? I'm confident that I can get him interested, or my name's not Mabel Pines!" She vowed, pumping her fist in the air. _"Please,_ just let me try! I know you want me to." Mabel said with a sly smile.

Bill sighed. Mabel was right, he did wish that she could help him. Though deep down, he had very little confidence in the girl. He hummed in thought and looked down at the wooden flooring, cupping his hands in his lap. Even if Mabel's attempt failed, at the very least the girl could convince Ford to open his eyes a bit more and listen to Bill a bit more.

Bill looked at Mabel. "Are you sure this will work?" He asked. Regardless of his lack of confidence, he figured it would feel better if Mabel told him otherwise.

Mabel nodded and stood up. She put a hand out towards Bill for a handshake. "Of course!" She said with a smile. Bill looked at the hand and wondered why on _earth_ the girl would offer_ him_ a hand shake, especially after all the events that his handshakes had led to in the past. Hesitantly, he took Mabel's hand and shook it, resisting the urge to ignite it in blue flame. It would do nothing but remind him of the summer.

"Then it's settled!" Mabel said with a grin. "Project Allure is a_ go!" _She said, putting her hands on her hips. She couldn't wait to see the outcome of her soon-to-be hard matchmaking work. She looked down at her knitting project. She then looked over at Bill's long, straight knitted chain. Her eyes lit up. "I have the perfect idea! What if we combined our projects into one and made a sweater for Grunkle Ford?" She asked.

Bill hummed at the thought. "Maybe..." He muttered. He looked at Mabel. "Oh yeah! Actually, I had this one idea..." He began. Mabel nodded frantically, curious to hear any suggestions Bill had for their recently founded Project Allure. (She had come up with the name herself.)

"Do you have any experience with cooking?" Bill asked.

Mabel nodded, putting her hands behind her back. "Yeah, I've made simple stuff. Like muffins, pudding, pie, cookies..." She muttered. Bill and Mabel gasped in unison, both exclaiming,_ "Cookies!"_

_"Ahh!"_ Mabel squealed with a grin. "That's a great idea! Maybe we can make some later." She said with a giggle. Bill nodded at the thought. At least he would have an assistant when he made his first attempt at baking. "But first, I'm gonna go get some tortilla chips!" She said, rushing over to the door.

"Wait, isn't that-?" Bill asked, extending an arm out. He slouched when the girl left before he could finish his sentence. _Triangle food..._ Bill thought to himself._ That's like cannibalism to myself! _

He looked over at his knitting project and held it in his hands. He too had been shocked at himself when he had made such a creation out of anger. He wondered just how much he could accomplish, and if he even remembered the steps. Due to his curiosity, Bill picked up the knitting needles, attempting to make knots once more like he had done earlier. To his annoyance, the knots wouldn't knot together like they had when he was mindlessly kneading them in his hands as he spoke to Mabel about his problems. He huffed and wondered if his stress was the only way that would make the stupid knots tie. For a moment, Bill even wondered if Mabel had been correct, and if the key to knitting really _was_ love.

_No, that's ridiculous._ Bill thought to himself. It's been trillions of years, and yet I've never learned how to knit? Seriously? Bill began to blame himself for his failings at the activity. He looked at the various colors of yarn. He looked at Mabel's creation and saw that she had chosen a dark blue color for her knitted creation. Bill quite liked the color and wondered if Ford would like it just as much. He opted to ask Mabel later if that was the color they could mainly use in progress of the sweater. Perhaps he could use his string's color to put overtop the base of the sweater, like an extra design. Bill wondered if writing out words with the knotted string he had made could spell out words.

_Surely Ford would like something like that._ Bill thought. _Wouldn't he? _

Ten minutes passed, and Mabel was yet to return from the kitchen. Bill grew confused, and waited around for the girl, getting progressively frustrated when the young teenager didn't return. Bill went so far as to label himself worried. He assumed his worry was reflecting from the fact that Stan was currently out of the house. Surely if something were to happen to Mabel, everyone would blame it on _him,_ being that he was the only other person at the house with Mabel.

Eventually, Bill exited the twins' bedroom and headed downstairs. "Shooting Star?" He called out, looking around in confusion. He checked the living room, behind him, in the gift shop, but the girl was no where to be seen. Bill looked around frantically before remembering that Mabel had gone to the kitchen.

_Duh._ Bill thought to himself. He ran over to the kitchen, nearly tripping on the living room carpet. He rushed over to the kitchen door frame, looking in the kitchen. Bill froze at the sight he saw before him. Horrified, he drew in a sharp breath as he gasped. _"Shooting Star!" _

**HAH! Cliffhanger! **

**I'm sorry... I just _had_ to stop it there. xD I wonder if all those evil cliffhangers The Forest Dog likes to put in her fics has rubbed onto me now. Oh well...**

**I'm pretty excited to write the next chapter, a lot is going to go down. With Bill at home alone with Mabel, and with Mabel suddenly... well, I can't really say much right now, can I? Hmm... let's just say that there's going to be a_ lot_ of misunderstandings in the next chapter.**

**Well, Bill kinda spilled the beans here, didn't he? Now Mabel knows more than he had intended for her to know. Mabel's "Project Allure" Can basically swing two ways; Work out magically, or go terribly, _terribly_ wrong. And being that this is Gravity Falls that we're talking about, I wouldn't lean too far into assuming that it's the first one. **

**To leave this chapter on a happy note, I intentionally left out the detail of what color of string Bill was using whilst knitting. I figured that pretty much any color could go nice with dark blue, so I'm letting you guys decide what color you want his bit to have been. You know, imagination and all. xD**

**New chapter up soon!**


	40. Mabel's Hospitalization

**As a warning, there are mentions of blood. Also, there's a lot of description of the events occurring at the first half, and not a ton of dialog. However it's rather important for the situations that you are yet to read. **

**(There's also a bit of language.)**

**Well, here's chapter 40 of 'Welcome Home'! **

"Shooting Star!" Bill exclaimed in fear. What was he to do now?

Laying on the kitchen floor was Mabel. She was laying down on her stomach with her eyes closed, part of her brown hair was covering her face. Mabel's headband had fallen to the floor. Bill noticed triangular corn chips spread around her, along with a bowl tilted sideways on the floor next to the teenager. Bill wondered if the girl had simply fallen and passed out, or if her condition was much more serious. Regardless, he rushed up to the Mabel, getting down on one knee. "S-Shooting Star?" He asked, shaking the girl slightly. He received no reply from Mabel, which gave him more reason to worry.

_The Pines are gonna kill me!_ Bill thought to himself, biting his lip. He looked down at the unconscious girl. "Mabel, wake up! _Kid!"_ He exclaimed, shaking the girl once more. Bill was given no response. "Crap..." He muttered. Bill looked around him, and considered calling one of the Pines. He quickly realized that doing so would be of no good use, as most of them were out on an adventure, and Stan was at the park. He knew that the conman didn't have a cell phone due to it's advanced technology. Bill knew that there was no one to call for help.

After a moment of thinking, Bill knew...

There was only one thing_ left_ that he _could_ do.

* * *

"Wow...that's amazing!" Dipper said, looking at the insect that Ford held in his hands. Ford, Dipper and Fidds were still out on their adventure, and they were completely unaware of the current event going down at the Mystery Shack. They stood by the trail they were traveling, huddled up beside a tree.

"I can agree with ye' there." McGucket said, sketching the insect on his notepad for later. Dipper opted to get his journal and write about the insect, though he figured that the creature wouldn't stay for too long.

"Isn't it?" Ford asked with a smile, looking at the insect he kept in his hands. "They're called bubble bees." He informed.

"Bubble bees?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow. "But, won't it sting you if it's a type of bee?" He asked.

Ford shook his head at the question and chuckled. "No, my boy," Ford assured. "These types of bees don't have stingers. Instead..." He trailed on, hesitantly drawing his hands away from the insect. The bee flew around in a circle around the three. Dipper was left in awe as the bee let out tiny bubbles while in flying motion.

"Oh man, I've gotta write all this down!" Dipper said eagerly, slinging his backpack off from his shoulder and grabbing his pink journal. He grabbed a pen and jotted down a few quick notes about the bubble bee. Fiddleford did the same in his notes.

Ford smiled. It was nice to see Dipper jotting down notes in his own journal. Ford looked at McGucket as the other man tugged on his jacket sleeve.

"Hey, Stanford?" Fiddleford began.

"Yes?" Ford responded, raising a eyebrow.

"Ehh... I-I was just hopin' we could talk." Fiddleford muttered, putting his hands in his pockets.

"About what?" Ford questioned.

Fiddleford looked over at Dipper as the boy proceeded to admire the bubble bee, writing down more in his journal. Fiddleford cocked his head to the side, giving a motion as to say they should go elsewhere to discuss. Ford took one more glance at his nephew to make sure he was involved in research, as well as staying safe. Moments later, Ford followed McGucket a short distance away. Far enough where Dipper couldn't easily hear their conversation, yet close enough where they could return to Dipper were something to go wrong.

"What is it?" Ford asked, putting his hands behind his back.

"Well..." Fiddleford began hesitantly. "Ye' don't haveta' answer if ye' don't want to, but..." He continued. Ford nodded, letting Fiddleford know that he had his attention. Fiddleford sighed. "I-Is everythin' okay with you and Bill?" He asked.

Ford wasn't expecting that question. Though the matter of Fiddleford pulling him away to talk a was bit concerning, he hadn't expected the conversation to take_ this_ route. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "We get by." Ford assured.

"Do ye'?" Fiddleford continued. He was extra skeptical when Ford nodded. "I don' know, I-It might just be my old eyes, but Bill's been lookin' pretty gloomy as a' recently." He said in more of a mutter.

Fiddleford had noticed the change in behavior between Ford and Bill, though he had begun to sense that Ford had a minor change of attitude regularly as well. Fiddleford still wasn't too fond of Bill, and it would take him a while to truly open up to the demon, however McGucket could mentally admit to himself without hesitation that there was a bit of unfairness being directed towards Bill. Did McGucket dare address that opinion to Ford? No way. Surely doing so would do nothing but make matters worse.

"I won't lie," Ford began, "I've noticed the same." He said.

Fiddleford's eyes widened. "Really?" He asked. "So ye've come ta' realize that this is all gettin' unfair to 'im and the two of ye' are gonna go have a good talk about it?" He asked in a hopeful manner.

"What?" Ford questioned bluntly. He scoffed and shook his head. "No, no. That's not what I meant at all." He said with a short chuckle. Fiddleford frowned at the answer. "I've noticed that Bill's been a bit more downcast recently, but it's what he deserves." He stated bluntly.

Fiddleford took in a short breath before speaking. "...What _is it_ that he deserves, Stanford?"

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Come again?" He asked.

McGucket folded his arms and looked up at the other man. "What exactly do you think Bill deserves?" He questioned.

Ford was stunned by the question. He opened his mouth slightly as words seemed to fail him. Ford sighed in relief when Dipper called out to him. Ford turned to look at his nephew, telling the boy that he would be there in a moment. He turned to look at Fiddleford and took a step away. "We can discuss this later." Ford said. McGucket watched the scientist head off. Fiddleford folded his arms and sighed, shaking his head. He knew that this was none of his business, however he couldn't help but wonder why Ford was suddenly acting this way.

Ford walked up to Dipper. "Yes?" He asked, putting his hands behind his back.

Dipper grinned at his uncle. "I just saw another bubble bee!" He exclaimed, his voice cracking slightly. "Except this one was blue instead of yellow!"

"Really?" Ford asked. "That's rather unusual, I've never seen a_ blue_ bubble bee before." He said.

Dipper grinned stupidly. He felt glad that he had discovered something that his uncle had never seen before. He felt somewhat accomplished by doing so, and hoped that he could continue to impress the author.

"Oh man, wait till' Mabel hears about this!" Dipper said aloud as Fiddleford walked back over to the other two.

"I'm sure Mabel would be thrilled," Ford said. He began to wonder if not inviting Mabel was a mistake. He looked down at his nephew. "Dipper, did you happen to bring a camera along with?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Of course!" Dipper said, slinging his backpack off his shoulders and grabbing the camera inside. He turned the camera on and pointed it over at the yellow bubble bee as it continued to buzz around. He took a photo of the yellow one and walked over by a bush where he had discovered the blue bee. Ford and McGucket trailed behind him, curious to see the rare insect. Dipper saw the blue bubble bee and snapped a photo of it on the bush, as well as when the bee flapped its wings as it flew, leaving behind a similar trail of bubbles as the other bee had. Dipper smiled and showed the photos for the others.

Fiddleford smiled. "Now that's somethin' ye' don't see ev'ryday." He said, the others nodding in agreement.

"Perhaps we should have brought Mabel along after all." Ford muttered to himself.

"Yeah," Dipper said. "Hopefully Bill hasn't_ killed her_ yet." He said with an eye roll.

Ford's eyes widened at the words that came out of his nephew's mouth. He put his hands on his hips, looking down at the boy, his face firm. _"Dipper Pines,_ do not say such things." He scolded. Ford would have used Dipper's real name in this situation had Fiddleford not been nearby.

"B-But it's Bill!" Dipper argued.

Ford put a hand out. "Don't think about arguing with me." He said, putting his hands back on his hips once more. "Besides, Stanley is at the house with Bill and Mabel. As long as Stanley's there, no harm will come to Mabel." He assured. "Your sister is perfectly safe with Stan looking after her."

Dipper didn't bother doubting his uncle's statement. He too knew that Stan would do anything to protect Mabel. At least she was perfectly safe at the shack...

* * *

The Mystery Shack door burst wide open when Bill turned the doorknob it with his elbow, kicking the door open. Bill held an unconscious Mabel in his arms. Not bothering to shut the back door, he ran straight towards the car. Bill wondered why Stan hadn't taken the car to the park. He didn't think to ponder on it much, as he had a much more important job to do now.

Bill walked to the back door of the car, opening it and placing Mabel down on one of the seats, not bothering to buckle her seatbelt. instead, the teenager lay unconscious across the three seats at the back of the car. Bill shut the back door and rushed over to the drivers seat of the vehicle. He slung the door open, quickly sitting inside the car. Bill's hands were shaking madly. He had never been in the driver's seat of a vehicle, let alone made an attempt to _drive_ one.

_Calm down, Cipher._ Bill told himself. _It's the only way. _

Bill shut the car door and buckled his seat belt. He turned to look at the passengers seat, leaning over and opening the glove compartment. He looked around in the storage bit of the car and dug around for the spare set of keys Ford kept in the car. Bill had an extra jolt of both relief and fear when he saw the keys. He grabbed them swiftly, quickly shutting the glove compartment.

He sat up straight in his seat, slowly guiding the key towards the hole by the steering wheel. He grunted as his hands shook too much for him to properly insert the key. Bill took his other hand and placed it atop his wrist to steady his shaking hands slightly. The motion worked just enough for him to place the key in its proper lock. The demon remembered how Ford would always twist the key clockwise. Bill did as Ford had done many times before. A shiver went up his spine when the car started up.

_Alright, alright..._ Bill thought to himself. "Driving. I'm gonna drive. I-I can do this." He told himself aloud. Though he didn't have much confidence, he figured he could get just enough of a handle on driving in order to take Mabel to the destination he was going to travel to. He had seen Ford and Karen drive in the past, surely after his occasional watching of the activity he could survive driving one himself. Bill noticed he was stalling and looked down at his feet, hoping to draw his eyes away from all the frustrating buttons on the car.

He slowly lowered his leg down to one of the pedals of the car. "I'm gonna drive... I'm gonna drive..." He muttered to himself. Bill's shoe hardly touched the pedal, and he assumed that it had been jammed. Confused, Bill slammed his foot down on the pedal. He shouted in remorse as the car began headed straight forward towards the shack. With his eyes widened, he yelled, _"I'm gonna die, I'm gonna die!" _

Not knowing what to do, he simply took his foot off the gas pedal. He cringed and shut his eyes in fear of dying. After a moment of feeling nothing, he hesitantly opened an eye. Relieved to see that the car had stopped driving forward once more, he let out a sigh of relief. He looked down at the other pedals and let his foot fall on another, applying little pressure. The car slowly began moving backwards. He turned his head around, looking out the back seat's window.

Bill sighed. "Don't you worry, Shooting Star," He began, as if the girl could hear him. "I'm gonna get the hang of this."

After a few minutes of constant struggling, Bill finally got the hang of what each pedal did. Turning and maneuvering the wheel was still a bit of a challenge. Bill decided not to worry too much about it. As long as he was making progress to the specific building he was hoping to make it to, that's all that mattered. All of this came as a surprise to Bill. The workings of the car and functions of the wheel, yes, however there was a thought that kept coming to mind.

Just last summer Bill could say that he couldn't care less about the twins. Now, it was a different story. (However Bill and Dipper still hated each other, so it was unlikely that Bill would do the same for Dipper than what he was doing for Mabel.) Now, Bill was risking his own _probably_ mortal life to help save Mabel's. He cringed at the thought of going soft, but Bill knew that he simply couldn't sit around and do nothing to help the girl. _That_ wasn't an option. And after everything Mabel had done for Bill, after all the kindness she had shown him, he owed it to the young teenager. And probably much more.

Bill looked around cautiously at the road at the end of the Mystery Shack's pathway. Seeing that there was little traffic, he cut a sharp corner to his right, twisting the wheel and slamming his foot on the gas pedal. He laughed in accomplishment as he drove forward, _actually_ managing to stay on the road. After a moment, Bill saw multiple cars in front of him heading his way. However the cars weren't driving on the opposite side of the road. Instead, they were driving on _his_ side of the road.

"Hah... Morons." Bill said with a scoff. "Clearly they don't know how to drive. They're driving the wrong way!" He said to himself, shaking his head and laughing. The car in front of him honked its horn repeatedly, in hopes of getting Bill's attention. Bill looked ahead and saw multiple cars behind the one heading towards him going the same way.

_Am _I _going the wrong way? _Bill wondered to himself. He looked at the lane beside him and saw a car passing by. He figured that he was in the wrong lane, and made a swift turn to the other side right before the other cars could crash into him.

Bill sighed in relief. "I can do this." He told himself.

The road ahead was (thankfully) a long, straight road. This gave Bill a bit more confidence with what he was doing. It was the turning bits he had to worry about. Bill wondered why the cars were all moving so slowly.

_These people must really like driving to be going so slow._ Bill thought. He caught up to one of the cars in front of him and wondered why they were moving so slow. Bill just scoffed. _It's not like there's any law stopping them from speeding up a bit! I've got places to be!_

Bill could see a variety of people looking through their windows, sneering at Bill. The demon glared and looked down at the car door beside him. He couldn't figure out how to roll down the window, so instead he took one hand and punched his arm through the glass, shattering the majority of the drivers seat window. He held his hand out and gave the other drivers a _certain gesture_ whilst using his other hand to drive.

He could feel blood dribbling down his arm, glass shards digging into his fingers. This didn't come as much of a problem to Bill, as he found the pain rather relieving to the alarming situation he was putting himself in. Bill took a quick peek in the rearview mirror of the car to see Mabel still laying unconscious across the back seats of the vehicle. He couldn't tell if the girl was breathing or not- the car was moving too fast to be able to tell. He hoped that it wasn't just the shaking of the car that made it appear that Mabel was breathing.

_Don't die on me, kid._ Bill pleaded. He drew his eyes back to the road. Bill's eyes widened at the sight in front of him. He shouted in alarm, taking his other hand from out of the car's busted window to keep both his hands on the car wheel. In front of him was the car he had been catching up to in the first place. Since Bill had been driving so fast, he was not but a few feet away from crashing into the other vehicle.

Bill drew in a sharp breath and slammed his foot on the brakes of the car. The impact of the move caused Bill to get his head slammed onto the steering wheel. Even though he slammed on the brakes, the front of the car got hit by the other car. He heard the crash and groaned at the stinging pain in his head.

Bill looked at himself in the rearview mirror to see a red spot on his face. He was sure that the spot on his face would soon bruise. He looked at his nose to see a drop of blood sliding down his face. His nose felt sore, however he didn't think it was broken. Bill wiped the blood from his face with his previously injured hand, instantly regretting the action as the small glass shards in his wrist made a small cut above his lips.

Bill had not strapped Mabel into a seat belt, so the impact of the brakes coming to a stop caused her to roll forward off the seats, falling onto the car's flooring. Bill hadn't noticed the girl falling onto the floor. He heard horns behind him telling him to go forward. He didn't bother looking back, instead he just began to drive once more, ignoring the pain rushing through his head.

Mabel, who was disturbed by the quick motion, stirred slightly. She squinted her eyes open slightly, looking around her. She sat up, leaning on one arm and looking around in confusion. Mabel was quick to understand that she was in the car- but why? She peeked over to see Bill driving and fighting against a mix of traffic. Bill twisted the wheel side to side, maniacally trying to beat all traffic in front of him by dodging the cars in his way.

_What's he doing..?_ Mabel asked herself._ Where are we going? _

Mabel looked at Bill in confusion. She opened her mouth to speak her confusion of the situation, until she heard Bill swear horrid profanity at one of the drivers. Mabel gasped at the terrible language and covered her ears. One driver rolled down his window and looked at Bill, shouting, _"Watch it, bozo!"_

"Oh, _suck a lemon!"_ Bill shouted back at the stranger with an eye roll, quickly looking back at the road. Mabel closed her mouth, deciding not to disturb Bill. He seemed to be in a rough enough situation. She just wondered _where_ they were going. Mabel looked at the back seat windows above her and saw rain trickling down from the sky and onto the glass of the car. Bill seemed to notice the rain as well. He didn't seem to have a good response to it.

_A-At__ least it's not _too_ bad._ Bill thought in his head. He cursed himself for thinking such things when the rain began pouring down the windows, some of the water getting into the car through the broken window. Bill hissed at the feeling of some of the rain getting in the wounds on his hands as it entered through the window.

The rain began to block the view of the window in front of him. _"Seriously?"_ Bill exclaimed with a growl. He looked down at the variety of confusing buttons on the car. Bill avoided the radio buttons, as he had learned in the past not to mess with those. Eventually he found the windshield wipers (To his relief) and the road became a bit more clear.

"How come the road's so slippery?" Bill wondered aloud._ Sixer's never had this kind of trouble with rain, what gives? _Then again, Bill had only the faintest pointers of how to drive. And based on the progress he had made, if he ignored all the people honking their horns and shouting at him, Bill assumed he was doing quite well for his first try behind the wheel.

Bill nearly hit another vehicle as he went side to side in lanes. He cringed at the mistake. Mabel, who was still on the floor of the car as to not roll around, shut her eyes in fear, her bottom lip quivering. _Where is Bill taking me?_ She wondered. _What's so important? _

Bill turned a corner, looking around frantically as a variety of signs and billboards began to show up around the town. He tried keeping a firm facial expression, however this served as a challenge due to the situation. He drove past a red light, as well as multiple stop signs as he continued to make his way towards his destination.

Meanwhile, Sheriff Blubs and Deputy Durland sat in their police car on one street, a stand of _Connect 4_ balancing atop the cup holders between the two seats at the front of the vehicle. Durland took a red piece and placed his last move, celebrating his win and ringing his bell repeatedly. Blubs chuckled and praised his partners skill at the game.

Bill sped by their car, passing a stop sign without stopping. The sensor on their car alerted the officers that the speeder was going a speed of 72 miles. Blubs and Durland looked up from their game in confusion, watching as the car sped by.

Durland raised an eyebrow. "...Do ye' think we should stop that driver?" He asked, turning to Blubs.

Sheriff Blubs shrugged. "One more game?" He asked.

Durland grinned. "Aww, ye' know me too well!" He said with a giggle. With that, the officers cleared the board to play another round before apprehending the speeder.

Bill turned a sharp corner, causing Mabel to hit her head against the back seat's door. She nearly exclaimed in fear of the quick turn, however she covered her mouth with her hands before she could alarm Bill.

_Does he know I'm awake?_ Mabel asked herself. She was still confused as to where the demon was taking her.

Bill slowed the car when he saw multiple roads in front of him. A feeling of worry hit him. He looked around in fear, sitting up straight as he looked in every direction. "Dang it!" He exclaimed in annoyance, his voice a bit shaky. "Where's the hospital, where's the hospital?" He kept asking aloud. He looked beside him to see a sign pointing towards the direction of said hospital. Bill sighed in relief and tried turning the car to the correct road. Turning the car with less speed served as a challenge to him, however he was thankful that it wasn't too difficult.

_Ohh!_ Mabel thought._ Bill's going to the hospital! But... why? _

It took Mabel a moment to think about the situation, however after a bit she was quick to remember the event that had occurred in the kitchen earlier in the day. She thought back on the previous event that she had foolishly gotten herself into.

_Mabel had just come downstairs after teaching Bill to knit with yarn and needles in her room. She skipped over to the kitchen with a smile on her face. The teenager walked into the kitchen, looking to her left to see a large bowl on the counter. She headed towards the bowl, happy to see that it was clean. She grabbed the bowl and went to the other side of the kitchen, setting the bowl atop the counter by the fridge. She grabbed the bag of tortilla chips and opened it up, pouring half the bag into the bowl. She folded the partially emptied bag and placed a chip clip on the bag to keep it closed. _

_Mabel took a chip out of the bowl and popped it in her mouth, humming at the taste. "Just one more thing!" She thought to herself with a smile. "It needs brown sugar!" She said aloud._

_Grinning a wide grin that showed off her braces, Mabel skipped over to the other side of the room once more. However, before she could get halfway there, she accidently tripped over her own ankle. Mabel gasped at her own foolishness and watched as the chip bowl fell out of her hands, the plastic container crashing to the floor. Mabel didn't have enough time to put her hands out in front of her to break her fall at this rate. Instead, Mabel was sent crashing head-first onto the kitchen floor, bits of hair covering her face as she was knocked into unconsciousness. _

Mabel sighed at her foolishness._ I can't believe I passed out like that!_ She thought to herself, folding her arms as if to scold herself for her stupidity.

_Wait! _Mabel began with a gasp._ Of course!_ That's_ why Bill's taking me to the hospital! Because h__e's concerned! Oh my gosh, wait until Grunkle Ford sees this! Bill will look like a hero! If he looks like a hero for saving me when no one else could, Ford will forgive Bill for sure! _

Mabel gasped at her sudden plan. Quietly, she climbed back onto the back seats of the car similar to how she assumed she had been set down originally by Bill. She closed her eyes and pretended to still be knocked unconscious. Though she had her eyes closed, she squinted them ever so slightly that she could see just a bit of what was going on.

Bill turned a corner once more. His eyes widened at the sight of the hospital. He ran over the bush by the entrance of the hospital, not caring to look back at the damage inflicted on the plant. One part of the bush left a small scratch on the windshield of the car, but Bill didn't care. He had more important things to take care of. Quickly, he parked at one side of the parking lot, taking up a total of three parking spaces as he ended up parking horizontally across the three other vertical parking slots.

Bill unbuckled his seat belt and forced the car keys out of the vehicle, leaning over across the front of the car and opening the glove compartment of the vehicle, shoving the keys inside and closing the container. He rushed out of the car, slamming his car door and heading over to the back seat. He opened the back door and stepped one foot inside the car while grabbing forward for the teenager laying in back. Gently, he grabbed hold of Mabel, trying to pick her up into his arms.

_Is she still breathing?_ Bill asked himself. He grabbed the girls wrist and couldn't seem to find a pulse. He checked her wrist, her palm, even her heart, but he couldn't seem to find a sign that Mabel was still alive.

"Oh, no..." Bill thought, his heart dropping. The feeling made him mentally cringe. He ran towards the hospital entrance.

What could he do now? If Mabel wasn't breathing, how could the hospital _possibly_ do anything to help her? At this point, Bill just wished that he still had the magic amulet. Had it not been crushed to save Melody, he would have been able to help Mabel.

Bill felt extra weights being put on his shoulders with every running step he took as he bolted towards the door. He could already sense the feeling of Stan using violence against him for 'killing' Mabel. He could already hear the heartbreaking shouting and cold shoulders given by Ford. He could already feel Dipper sitting beside his dead sister, able to do _nothing_ to help her. While it didn't seem too terrible to see Dipper in pain, Bill still knew that the family would be greatly affected by the loss.

As Bill ran over towards the hospital doors, the thought of how Ford would react to the situation passed by his mind. Ford already hated him, and this certainly wouldn't help with convincing him otherwise. Bill was the only one at the Mystery Shack besides Mabel at the time he had discovered her state, so of course everyone would blame him for Mabel's death.

Bill glared at the glass doors as he felt himself running closer and closer. He hoped there was still a chance. The simple thought of Ford's disgust sent a shiver down Bill's spine. How much it would hurt the demon were the _one man _he could trust- the _one man _he could _ever _trust- wouldn't be able to do so much as look him in the eye. Bill's breathing got heavy as he tried to push away the thought.

Bill squinted his eyes shut as he kicked the hospital doors wide open with his foot. A total of five hospital workers turned to look at the blonde man. Two of the hospital workers recognized the strange man from a few days ago, whereas the other three were just seeing the man for the first time. One woman wondered how such a handsome man could look so beat up.

Bill looked frantically around the lobby. Each worker seemed to be busy at work. What was he to do? What was he to say? There was a line at the front desk, and waiting around for a doctor wasn't an option.

_"M-Medic!" _Bill blurted out with wide eyes. "I-I need a medic, a doctor, _anyone!"_ He exclaimed.

A nurse with dark brown, curly hair and caramel skin turned around. Bill looked at the woman and was quick to recognize her from the other day. This was the woman whom he had gotten CPR from just a couple days ago.

The nurse walked over to Bill with her hands on her hips. "Sir, I'm sure you're well aware that this is a hospital. You can wait in line like everyone else." She stated in a bitter manner. Bill assumed that the nurse recognized him as well, which led to her being extra distasteful towards him.

"N-No, you don't understand!" Bill began frantically, "She's not breathing!" He stated, mentioning his head towards Mabel whom he still held.

The nurse looked at the girl with narrowed eyes. She grabbed Mabel's wrist. Mabel's nose twitched slightly at the unfamiliar contact, however she wished not to give up her unconscious act. Thankfully neither Bill nor the nurse noticed.

"Hmm..." The nurse began, trying to feel for a pulse. "I suppose you're correct." She muttered.

Bill nodded and looked at the nametag on the woman's shirt. It read _'__Melanie'_. Bill looked up at the nurse and smirked. "So _Melanie, _now that you've got your proof, a hospital room would work _just fine_, don't ya' think?" He questioned, his smirk still apparent.

Melanie narrowed her eyes at the rude behavior coming from the man. "You'd better watch your mouth, or I'll kick you a second time." She stated, putting her hands on her hips.

Bill cringed. He wished not to experience such pain again. He just nodded. "Yes ma'am." He muttered.

"Good," The nurse said with a mocking smile. "Because based on your arm, bruises, and black eye, I don't think you would want any more... _Injuries." _She said.

"Black eye?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow. "I don't remember getting _that." _He muttered to himself as the nurse and Bill began heading down the hallway.

"You'll be getting checked up as well." Melanie stated.

Bill scoffed. "_Seriously?"_ He complained. "It's just a few little cuts, lady!" He whined. "Besides, I care more about the kid getting help than me." He added.

Melanie directed Bill to a hospital room with two separate hospital beds. Bill groaned at the thought of having to participate in an unnecessary checkup. However he was glad that Mabel would get medically attended to at the very least. The nurse took Mabel off Bill's hands (Literally) And laid the girl down on a hospital bed. A couple doctors were called in to assist the dying patient at once, though one with less experience opted to help Bill with his more minor injuries.

* * *

"Oh man, Mabel's not gonna believe this!" Dipper said with a grin as Ford, Dipper, and McGucket all walked back to the shack.

"I agree, I'm sure your sister would be thrilled with your discovery." Ford said with a nod of his head. "Perhaps you could invite her to join us on our adventure tomorrow." He said.

"Tomorrow?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well, yes. If you'd like." Ford said with a simple shrug. "You'll only be in gravity Falls for six more days. Why not make the most of it?" He said with a small smile.

"That'd be great!" Dipper said, putting his hands in his vest pockets. "What about you, McGucket?" He asked, turning to the old man.

Fiddleford shrugged. "Well, I don' have nothin' better goin' on." He answered. "But it'll be nice ta' relax after a long day."

"Agreed." Dipper and Ford said in unison. They were relieved to see the shack up ahead. As they walked closer to the shack, Ford noticed that the car was missing. This gave him a jolt of worry. He looked around and saw no car in sight. He hummed in suspicion.

"Out of curiosity," Ford began. Dipper and McGucket looked at the man as they walked closer to the shack. "Did any of you happen to see Stan move the car?"

"No," Dipper answered. "It was there when we left." He said.

Ford hummed. He looked at the back door to see it wide open. He stopped in his tracks with wide eyes. McGucket and Dipper stopped in confusion to look at the scientist. Ford gasped. "Don't tell me!" He growled, bolting towards the door.

"Stanford, what're ye'-?" Fiddleford began to question until he too noticed the opened door. Fiddleford bit his lip._ Oh, this ain't good. _

Dipper's eyes widened. "Oh no!" He blurted out. Fiddleford and Dipper ran after Ford. The scientist looked around, walking over towards the stairs and rushing up then in hopes of finding one of the three who had stayed at the shack.

_"Mabel? Bill?"_ Ford called out, a look of worry on his face. _"Stanley?"_ He called out with a hint of anger.

"Oh golly, where's Stan?" Fiddleford asked, hands on his head as he stood in the living room. "He ain't in 'is natural habitat!" He said, rushing back over towards Dipper. The teenager looked around and headed towards the kitchen.

Dipper looked down at the kitchen floor. Fiddleford looked over him at the mess of chips. The two heard the footsteps of Ford rushing back down the stairs. Fiddleford looked at Ford in confusion.

"Did ye' find em'?" Fiddleford asked.

"No," Ford answered, a look of worry in his eyes. "I-I'm going to go check the laboratory." He announced.

"Wait!" Dipper exclaimed. Ford and Fiddleford turned to look at the boy. Dipper stepped into the kitchen and got down on one knee. He grabbed Mabel's headband from off the floor. "M-Mabel's headband was left here. She never goes anywhere without a headband!" He observed, holding up the headband.

Ford took the headband and narrowed his eyes. "I'm going to give Stanley quite the lecture when he returns." He grumbled. He feared that he would snap the headband if he held it any longer, and instead handed it back to Dipper. Only the worst of scenarios were present in his thoughts.

Meanwhile, Stan had returned from the park. He had gotten a video recording of Gideon for a solid sixteen minutes before Bud showed up to assist his son in getting down. Stan rushed home in hopes of watching the film he had gotten. He even planned to get the video on CD for people to buy in the gift shop.

_This is gonna be great! _Stan thought to himself. He had a wide grin plastered along his face as he walked back to the shack. He was confused as to why the back door had been left open. He looked beside him to see the car missing.

_Huh. _Stan thought. _Ford musta' used it and gone into town._

Dipper clutched his hat in fear. "Oh man, oh man!" He exclaimed, putting a hand on his chest in an attempt to keep his cool around the author. He didn't want to let off an obvious look of paranoia, however this served as a challenge as he wondered what could have possibly happened to his sister.

"Where'd they go?" Fiddleford asked in confusion.

"I... Have no idea." Ford answered in defeat. He grunted in anger, clenching his fists. "I gave Stanley _one __job..." _He muttered.

"I wonder..." Dipper began, folding his arms and placing a finger stop his chin. He gasped at a sudden realization. "Of course!" He exclaimed.

Ford raised an eyebrow, looking at his nephew. "What is it, Dipper?" He questioned.

"These corn chips..." Dipper began in a muttered tone. "...They're triangular..." He continued.

Fiddleford looked at the tortilla chips that had fallen out of the sideways bowl on the floor. "That there chip is a triangle folded up and cooked like a circle!" He said, pointing at a corn chip on the ground. McGucket noticed unamused states and looked back at the two awkwardly. "Not the time?" He asked.

"I think..." Dipper continued, ignoring McGucket's previous statement. "I think Bill took Mabel!" He said.

Fiddleford adjusted his tie . "Now that don't make sense a' any kind." He said. "Why would he do that?" He asked.

"Maybe because Bill got jealous when we left, and kidnapped Mabel to show his anger, o-or to take her as hostage or something!" Dipper exclaimed.

Ford hummed. "As accurate as that may seem, we can't jump to conclusions. It's still a possibility that Stan took them somewhere in town." He said.

Unfortunately for Ford's hypothesis, the three all turned to the door in unison as Stan walked through it into the house, humming joyfully. He walked over towards the stairs and looked up, yelling, "Hey Mabel! Come get a load of what I got on camera! Heck, bring Bill down here, too. He can't miss this!" He exclaimed with a laugh, grabbing the camera from under his arm and snickering.

Dipper folded his arms. "They're not here." He stated. Dipper must have startled his uncle, hence the reason Stan shifted at the voice.

Stan turned around in confusion. "What do ya' mean?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Fiddleford frowned. Stan noticed the old man's facial expression, then turned to look at his brother. Ford had a cold glare on his face. Stan noticed Ford's clenched fists and _knew _that something was wrong.

"What's-uh... What's that look for?" Stan asked as his brother approached him. Stan took a small step back, only for Ford to grab his red Mr. Mystery tie. Stan exclaimed in annoyance at the behavior, and met his brothers cold, brown eyes.

Stan tried to pull away, only for Ford to tighten his grip. Stan grunted. "Hey, what's the deal, Sixer?" He asked.

"I gave you..._one job." _Ford began, staring into his brothers identical brown eyes. Stan could see the rage building up in Ford's facial features. _"One job, Stanley!" _He shouted with a glare.

It wasn't until now that Stan knew what Ford was talking about. He looked at Ford in a somewhat-innocent manner. "C-Come on, Pointdexter! I was only gone for a couple hours!" Stan defended.

_"Hours?" _Ford roared with a glare. "Do you have _any idea _how much danger Mabel could be in right now?" He asked.

Stan opened his mouth slowly before speaking. "Ford..." He muttered. "What're you _talking_ about?" He asked.

Ford's facial features softened slightly. He frowned and hesitantly let go of his brother's tie. Stan grumbled under his breath and fixed his tie back to its original state before looking at Ford with his arms folded.

"Bill and Mabel are gone." Ford informed in a low tone. "We have to find where Bill took her." He continued. "Luckily, you took the car to wherever you had gone, so they couldn't have gone far." He said with a sigh.

Stan shifted at this. He cleared his throat and looked at the floor. Ford looked at him in minor confusion. Stan gave a faint chuckle. "Uh... Actually..." He muttered, holding a finger up in the air.

It didn't take long for Ford to understand where his brothers sentence was going. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to hold back the urge to punch his brother due to the circumstances. Ford wasn't sure to do currently. Knowing Bill, he could have taken Mabel anywhere.

"Stan..." Ford began, putting his hands behind his back. "Why on _earth_ would you leave Mabel with Bill?" He asked.

"Look, I had a good reason!" Stan defended.

Ford gave his brother an unamused look. "And what reason is that?" He asked, tilting his head.

"Uh, blackmailing!" Stan said, holding up the film camera. "Come on Sixer, Lil' Gideon was stuck in-between the monkey bars at the park!" He stated.

_"That's_ why you left?" Ford asked, looking Stan deadpan in the eyes.

_"Yes!" _Stan said, folding his arms. "Look, Bill didn't seem to have any bad intentions when I left, and all they were doin' was makin' sweaters!" He tried to defend. However Stan already knew that his excuses would be of no use. His own reasoning was beginning to sound ridiculous to him.

Dipper stepped forward beside Ford. "Are you _kidding, _Grunkle Stan?" He asked, folding his arns. "Who knows what Bill could be doing right now! Ford kept you in charge and you _left!"_ He exclaimed with clenched fists.

Dipper wished not to think of what could be happening to his sister as they spoke, if she was even alive. He hoped that Bill would spare his sister's life. He didn't think he could make it through the rest of his childhood without his sister. And if she was dead... Oh, perish the thought. There was nothing Dipper could do save going out to look for her and hoping she was alright.

Stan saw the frowns on the others faces. He scratched the back of his neck and drew his eyes to the floor, remorse filling his heart. He pushed away the thoughts of possibly facing the consequence of losing his niece forever due to his foolish trip. Bill had looked so upset recently, Stan wondered if that was part of the reason for the demon to do such things.

The phone in the kitchen suddenly rang, causing the four to shift in unison and turn around. Stan pushed past his brother and McGucket and rushed towards the phone. He swiftly picked up the phone and gave a rushed, "Hello?"

_"Oh, hey there, Mr. Pines!" _Soos greeted with a smile. _"Aw dude, you won't believe what I __found in Abuelita's basement today!" _He beamed.

Stan gave an unamused look and grunted. "Not now, Soos." He grumbled, taking the phone and slamming it back down on its stand. Stan folded his arms and sighed , putting a hand down on the table.

Fiddleford hummed. "M-Maybe one of them'll call up the shack?" He said with a weak shrug.

"Don't think Bill knows the number." Stan said with a shake of his head. "Besides, if he captured Mabel, why would he call?" He asked with an eye roll.

All eyes turned to look at the phone beside Stan as it rung once more. Stan growled and looked up at the ceiling with a glare before looking at the phone. He put a hand on his hip and shouted, "Not _now, _Soos!"

_"Mr. Pines?" _A feminine voice on the other line called. Stan gasped when he heard an unfamiliar voice. He leaned on the table and gave a sly grin before speaking to the woman in the other line.

"Oh, sorry about that." Stan said with a chuckle. "Say- what brings an assumingly lovely lady like yourself comin' to talk to a man of mystery like me?" He asked, wiggling his eyebrows even though the woman couldn't see the facial reaction. Ford looked at his brother's unattractive flirting techniques and face palmed, shaking his head.

The woman was silent for a moment. Stan was convinced the woman was left speechless by his flawlessly seductive behavior. This, however, was not the case. The woman took a moment to scoff in disgust before going back to speak to the old man.

_"Sir, this is Melanie Jones calling from the Gravity Falls hospital." _The nurse began.

Stan gasped and put a hand over the phone. "It's the hospital." Stan informed, looking at Ford before drawing his attention back to the phone.

_"I'm calling to inform you that-" _Melanie began before drawing her eyes over to a man beside her. She shot a glare at the man arising from his hospital bed. _"Sir, lie back down. Sir, go back. Hey! Phone calls from patients without permission is strictly prohibited- Sir, SIR!"_

Stan listened in on the statements in confusion, and heard a familiar voice say, _"Move it, lady. I know what I'm doing." _Stan groaned at the voice of the man on the phone. Stan could hear the woman walking away, her words difficult to hear as she said, _"The disrespect!" _

Stan cleared his throat as if to speak. However, before he could begin, the other spoke. _"Hey, Stano."_ The man began.

"Where are you? _Where's Mabel?" _Stan asked, his face firm as he demanded answers from the demon.

_"Relax,_ _Fez." _Bill began with an eye roll. _"She's getting help at the hospital." _

"Help?" Stan asked. He glared. "What'd you do to her, Bill? What happened?" He asked with a forceful tone.

Bill scoffed. _"Way to assume," _He began. _"Don't worry, Shooting Star is... fine.__" _He tried to assure.

Stan put his hand over the phone once more and looked at Ford. "It's Bill. He says Mabel's fine." He informed.

"Fine my ass." Ford mumbled under his breath with clenched fists.

Stan went back to the phone. "What happened to her?" He asked, a bit more calm now.

_"Well," _Bill began, _"She-uh... Well... I-I don't know." _He admitted. _"Get to the hospital, quick. I'll fill you in when ya' get here. We're in Room 15."_ He said.

"Wait!" Stan shouted to no avail. The line on the other end buzzed in a low tone. Stan grunted and placed the phone on the stand.

McGucket sighed in relief. "Well, at least she's alive." He said with a chuckle.

Dipper looked at Fiddleford. "We can't know that for sure. What if he's lying? Bill could totally be lying."

Ford looked at Dipper and put a hand out to silence the boy. "Dipper. Please, just stop." He commanded. "I understand your concern for Mabel, but you don't need to let the hope die." He stated, putting his hands behind his back.

Dipper just sighed, adjusting his Pine Tree hat and putting his hands in his best pockets. He knew that his uncle was correct, though he couldn't help but wonder on every possible outcome. He would get his revenge on Bill for harming his sister. He swore on it.

"We need to go to the hospital." Stan informed. "Room 15."

"But how?" McGucket asked, raising an eyebrow. "The cars a'missin." He reminded.

Stan hummed. "I know." He began.

* * *

Meanwhile, once Bill had been given a lecture on the basic hospital guidelines, he sat in his hospital bed in clear unamusement. He looked over at Mabel, who was still unconscious. Her heartbeat would go from beating slow to hardly beating at all. It didn't make sense to Bill- Why was_ he_ being forced into hospitalization when Mabel was the one needing help? His injuries were minor. Mabel's life was at stake. If she died, Bill would lose the only person who cared about him, and all the Pines' would blame the girl's death on _him. _

The doctor beside Bill wrote on her clipboard. Bill looked beside him and saw a metal tray with miniature glass shards placed atop, a thin coat of blood coating each shard. Previously, the doctor had gotten tweezers to take the shards out of his arm. Bill had attempted to argue, claiming that he liked the pain, however he wished not to get another lecture on the dreaded hospital guidelines.

_Oh man... _Mabel thought to herself, her eyes closed. _This is so crazy! I hope Bill won't be mad at me for faking my injury. As long as he knows that it's for the greater good, I should be fine! _She was about to giggle, though she silenced herself before she could draw unwanted attention to herself.

The doctors beside Mabel were talking in a muttered tone.

"Sir, the girl's heartbeat is unstable. One moment her heart is beating normally, and the next it's stopping." One doctor claimed.

The other male doctor nodded. "Yes, it's quite peculiar." He muttered. "We may have to do a more shocking procedure." He stated, folding his arms.

The first doctor's eyes widened. "Are you proposing we perform the use of a_ defibrillator?"_ He asked.

"Yes," The other doctor said with a nod of his head. "It's our best bet. This girl's heartbeat has only been decreasing."

"B-But if she ends up healthy enough, those could _kill_ her, Will!" The other exclaimed.

A feeling of worry ran through Mabel at this. She didn't want to really die! _What are they going to do to me? And what's a defibrillator?_ She asked herself.

Bill listened in to the conversation. He watched as one doctor argued with the other on methods to help Mabel. Bill looked away from the people across from him when he felt a soft hand atop his shoulder. Bill turned to look at the person to see the woman who, to his distaste, had assisted him with his injuries.

"You've still got some glass stuck in your arm, so I'm going to have to remove the rest of it before I can let you go." The nurse informed.

Bill groaned at the information. "Seriously?" He complained, folding his arms. He hissed in delight at the stinging caused by the motion. Bill turned to look over at Mabel's hospital bed once more. The girl was clearly still unconscious, and the doctor's conversation that he had overheard bits of was giving him reason to worry. Bill turned to look back at the doctor. "Hey, do you know what they're planning to do to that girl over there?" He asked, pointing over at Mabel.

The doctor hummed and shook her head. "...No, unfortunately I do not." She said. "I would suggest asking the more experienced doctors." She suggested, motioning over to the arguing doctors beside Mabel.

Bill took one look at the doctors in the distance and cringed at the sight of the argument. He cleared his throat before saying, "They seem busy." He didn't wish to get involved with whatever was going down between the doctors. He only hoped that the Pines would get to the hospital quick enough before the doctors began any medical procedures. Fortunately, the hospital was only about 5 minutes away from the shack. Unfortunately, Bill had taken the car. All Bill could do now was wait.

Ten minutes had passed, and the Pines were yet to arrive at the hospital. Bill grew worried that the others would take too long. They had to get to the hospital, and quick. Because otherwise, Bill wasn't sure what exactly the doctors would do to Mabel.

Bill looked over at the door to see Melanie walking into the hospital room, passing by Bill as she pushed a metal cart with a strange mechanical device. Bill raised an eyebrow and called out to the nurse. "Hey, what's that?" He asked, pointing at said device.

"It's a defibrillator," Melanie responded, glancing at the man for a moment before drawing her eyes back to the device. "We're going to use it to help the Pines girl." She said.

_"Help?"_ Bill repeated, unsure if 'help' was the correct term to explain whatever that was. "You_ sure?_ That thing looks like it'd kill her rather than _help_ her." He stated.

"It might," The nurse casually replied. Bill looked wide-eyed at the nurse for confirming his assumption. Melanie didn't seem to recognize the look. She heard the creaking of the emergency exit door out in the hallway opening. She narrowed her eyes. "Why on earth-?" She muttered to herself, walking out of the room in confusion.

The nurse gave a look of confusion when she saw two nearly identical old men and a young boy. As they walked into the hallway, the nurse noticed another old man follow behind them.

The four at the end of the hall all noticed the nurse. Stan and Dipper had different reactions at the sight of the nurse, being that she stood beside Room 15. Dipper had a feeling of rage hit him at knowing that Bill was likely in that same room. Stan was concerned- yet relieved to know that Mabel and Bill were likely where Bill had said they were.

"Ma'am," One doctor, Will, called out to the nurse. Melanie turned around raising an eyebrow. "Is the defibrillator ready to be turned on?" He asked. The nurse nodded, to which the doctor left back into the hospital room.

"Why do they have a-?" Fiddleford muttered to himself in confusion. Ford overheard the doctors question and gasped at hearing the word 'defibrillator'. He had past experiences with the medical tool in the past. He became worried when the nurse walked back into Room 15.

"Mabel!" Dipper shouted in fear, running down the hall to follow after the nurse.

"Dipper!" Stan and Ford exclaimed in unison, both putting a hand out. McGucket trailed behind the others as the twins rushed over to Dipper.

Dipper rushed into the hotel room, nearly running into the nurse as he tried to stop his running pace. He nearly tripped, however he managed to keep his balance just in time. Stan and Ford rushed into the room, looking straight forward as they saw an unconscious Mabel.

Stan's eyes widened. _"Pumpkin!"_ He exclaimed, rushing over towards his niece and standing beside her hospital bed. He looked down at the girl with a frown.

Ford put a hand in his hair, a look of hurt on his face. He found it difficult to see his niece in such a weak state. He looked to his left, seeing Bill laying down in a separate hospital bed. Hesitantly, Ford walked over to the other man. Bill had multiple cuts on his hand, a black eye, and a bruised cheek. Ford frowned at the sight. Bill looked over at Ford, noticing the man's presence. Ford was quick to put his hands behind his back, raising an eyebrow.

"What happened?" Ford asked Bill. He didn't seem angry- he seemed more concerned, if anything. Bill figured the man was only curious to hear about Mabel's state rather than his.

"Well..." Bill muttered. "It's kinda hard to explain." He replied.

"Explain anyway." Ford responded, looking at Bill for an answer.

Bill folded his arms. "Well, I'll be honest. One minute she was teaching me to knit, and the next she was unconscious on the kitchen floor." He said, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly.

Ford was confused at this. He tilted his head to show his confusion. "Why was she unconscious?" He asked.

Bill went silent at the question. He shifted slightly, looking away from the other. It didn't take Ford long to notice the stalling act. He narrowed his eyes in suspicion at the demon._ "Bill..."_ Ford muttered, his tone of voice firm now.

Bill just bit his lip. He didn't know how to respond to the question. Bill wasn't sure_ what_ had caused Mabel to fall unconscious, however he was convinced that the girl's passing out had to do with something from earlier in the day. This is what was causing Bill's stalling, as he tried to think of what could have possibly caused her to pass out so suddenly.

While it seemed to Bill that he was pondering a thought, to Ford it looked like mere stalling. As if Bill didn't want to answer the question. As if he were keeping something from him, hiding something. Ford's eyebrows furrowed as he awaited an answer. He gave the demon a suspicious glare when Bill was yet to respond to his question. Ford waited a total of three more seconds before clenching his fists. He took a step forward and put his hands on Bill's shoulders, causing Bill to look him in the eyes. Bill was taken aback by the sudden act, noticing the scientist's angered expression.

"What did you do?" Ford shouted with a glare. _"What did you do to my niece?"_ He asked, shaking the demon as he was yet to give an answer. Ford was growing impatient with the man's stalling. He _needed_ an answer.

Bill groaned as Ford's grip on his shoulders tightened. He looked at the scientist with wide eyes. _"N-Nothing!"_ Bill sputtered, putting his hands up slightly.

"Do you_ honestly_ expect me to believe that?" Ford shot back, his glare still apparent. "Give me a_ real_ answer,_ dammit!" _He shouted, gripping the collar of Bill's shirt and pulling him close with that same glare.

Fiddleford looked over at Ford as the scientist continued to shout at Bill. He cringed at the rather vile look Ford gave the demon. For a moment he felt as if Bill didn't deserve the attack- he was injured, so there was clearly a bigger picture that they were yet to understand.

Stan looked over at his brother. "Pointdexter, don't swear in front of the kid." He said, motioning towards Dipper. Stan didn't seem at all concerned for Bill's state whatsoever.

Ford seemed to have completely ignored his brother. All he was focused on was Bill; and getting a true answer to his question.

Mabel, however, was shocked. She had never in a million years thought that her uncle would act like this. Out of all her emotions, she was confused. _Why is Grunkle Ford shouting at Bill? This was all supposed to make Bill look like a hero, not the bad guy! _Her confusion was interrupted when she heard a doctor plug in a machine beside her. She kept her heartbeat low, making sure that her eyes remained shut.

Stan looked at the doctors. "H-Hey! What are ya' doing?" He asked. Stan huffed when he got no response. Melanie walked over to the two male doctors with her clipboard in hand. Stan looked at the nurse. "What're they doin' to her?" He asked.

"Well," Melanie began as the defibrillator paddles charged up with electricity. "We're going to attempt to get her heart rate back to normal." She said.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "With that thing?" He asked.

"Yes," The nurse replied. "At this rate, Mabel Pines is likely to die if we don't go through with this medical procedure. However, there's a chance she could die either way." She said, muttering the last bit.

_"What?"_ Stan hollered with a mortified glare.

"It's worth the risk!" Will said, grabbing the defibrillator. "I mean, it might kill her, but-" He began, holding the paddles in his hands.

Mabel gasped at this. Her eyes shot open as she exclaimed in fear, shooting up and sitting up straight in the hospital bed. _"Ahhh!"_ She exclaimed, looking around, her heart beating fast now.

"What the-?" The two male doctors said in unison.

Dipper gasped and ran over towards where Stan stood. Ford and Bill froze in their positions. They both looked as if they were about to strangle each other. They both turned to look at Mabel in shock.

"Wha-How-M-Mabel?" Dipper sputtered in disbelief. He wondered how Mabel could have recovered so quickly. _It doesn't make sense..._ Dipper thought to himself._ If her heart rate was dangerously low, even zero, why is she fine all of a sudden? _This question stumped Dipper for a moment.

It took him a moment, but after a bit of thinking, the explanation came to Dipper._ Oh no, she was using the trick Grunkle Stan taught us! Why did he have to teach us how to slow our heart rates to alarming levels? _Dipper couldn't help but wonder why Mabel had done this. He figured that would be a question for later.

"I'm alive, _I'm alive!"_ Mabel exclaimed frantically, fear in her eyes as she shook her head and hands. "I'm fine!" She claimed, breathing heavily.

Bill's eyes widened. "Kid!" He exclaimed. His mouth hung open in both relief and confusion.

Stan looked at Mabel in confusion. "Mabel?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "What happened to you?" He asked. Ford released his grip on Bill and walked over to his niece.

"Well, I tripped in the kitchen and passed out when you were gone," Mabel began, looking at Stan. Ford narrowed his eyes at his brother. Stan looked at Ford and gave an awkward chuckle before looking back at Mabel. "And then Bill helped me!" Mabel said with a grin.

"What?" Dipper, Stan, and Ford all asked in unison.

"Yeah!" Mabel said, her grin showing off her braces. "He saw I was in trouble and made a good attempt to drive me to the hospital! He doesn't even know how to drive, but he still cared enough to try! I mean, the car got kinda mashed up, but he had good intentions!" She said. "Then he got me to the doctors." She continued.

Dipper looked at his sister in disbelief. _"Bill_ did all that?" He asked. Mabel nodded with a smile. Dipper hummed. "I guess that does explain why he's injured..." He muttered, looking away. A wave of guilt passed by him at knowing that Bill had tried to help his sister, when all Dipper could think of was how he could be_ harming_ her.

Melanie cleared her throat, her hands on her hips. "Excuse me, little girl," She began. Mabel turned to look at the nurse. "How do you know all of this?" She questioned.

"Oh!" Mabel began, smiling once more. Her smile faded at knowing that she would have to explain how she had faked the second half of the situation. "Oh..." She muttered, looking away. The nurse narrowed her eyes. "Well," Mabel began. "I-I kinda..." She tried.

"She used the trick our Grunkle Stan taught us on how to drop our heart rate down to zero, or low levels." Dipper said, folding his arms.

Ford looked mortified at the answer Dipper had given. He turned to look at his brother once more. _"Stanley!"_ He chided._ "Why_ would you teach such things to the children?" He asked.

_"Hey!_ It could come in handy for placin' bets someday, ya' never know!" Stan shot back, folding his arms. Ford raised an eyebrow at this. He opted not to question the strange answer Stan had given. It would only lead to an even stranger conversation.

The doctors groaned, and the nurse scoffed. "So this was all just a little_ joke_ of yours?" Melanie asked with an eye roll. "We have other patients at this hospital that need assistance, we can't afford to have reckless children pulling silly pranks that do nothing but _waste our time!"_ She said with a glare. "You can show yourselves out._ All of you."_ She said, storming out of the room. The doctors cringed at the nurse's tone, however they opted to follow her.

Mabel sighed, getting out of the hospital bed with a look of guilt. She looked up at her Grunkles with a frown. "I'm sorry Grunkle Stan. I'm sorry Grunkle Ford." She said, hanging her head in shame.

Stan looked at his niece for a moment before kneeling. He wrapped his arms around Mabel, embracing the girl in a hug. "It's alright, sweetie. The only thing that matters is that you're okay." He stated.

"Thanks, Grunkle Stan." Mabel muttered, returning the hug.

McGucket offered to help Bill out of his hospital bed, to which the demon declined. "I'm fine." He stated, walking over the group. He tried to hide his limping, however he wasn't sure that his act was very convincing, hence the short state from Stan. Fiddleford walked over to the group, joining Bill with the others.

At first when Stan had looked at Bill when they had arrived at the hospital, he hadn't thought much of his injuries. He had assumed that the demon had just beat himself up a good amount. However, when Stan learned the real reason as to why Bill had multiple injuries, it opened his eyes to another side of Bill he had never seen before. When Ford had been rough with Bill at first, he hadn't paid much attention to it. Now, after learning that Bill had made an attempt to go through the trouble of bringing Mabel to the hospital in hopes of saving her life, he felt as if he should scold Ford for acting so cold.

Before the group could leave the hospital room, they were stopped at the door frame by sheriff Blubs and deputy Durland. Stan's eyes widened at the sight of the police. "Hey- you don't understand!" He exclaimed. "That Walrus owed me money!" He claimed with clenched fists. Everyone turned to look at Stan in confusion at the strange remark.

"We're note here about the Walrus," Sheriff Blubs began. "We had a speeder pass by earlier who had been going 72 miles per hour, and there have been reports that the same car was here." He stated looking at the group.

"It was someone blonde." Durland added , putting his hands on his hips.

Bill bit his lip at this. He knew that they were talking about him- he could feel it. Bill shifted to the side a bit and hid behind Ford, clutching Ford's arms and poking his head out from the side of the scientists right arm. Ford looked at Bill and rolled his eyes. He pinched the bridge of his nose at knowing that Bill had ended up getting into legal trouble. Bill didn't notice the reaction- He was too focused on the police officers, hoping they wouldn't see him.

Stan sighed in relief at knowing that he wasn't the one in trouble this time. "Heh... Well, that's a relief." He said with a short laugh. He ceased his laughter at realizing that the person was likely Bill who had sped. He wasn't sure if Bill was aware of speed limits, or if he just didn't _care. _

"We're gonna' need everyone ta' spread out in a straight line." Durland stated in a firm manner.

"But not _too_ straight." Blubs commented, looking at Durland with a chuckle. Durland turned to look at his partner and cracked a grin that evolved into giggling along with the other officer.

Mabel smiled at the officers as they giggled together. Dipper looked over at Bill, then at Ford. Dipper saw Ford shake his head at Dipper, as if to tell him not to say anything to the officers or comment on the situation whatsoever. The boy looked back at the officers as they looked at the group with serious facial expressions once more.

Everyone formed together to create a line, save Bill who still hid behind Ford. Stan stood close beside his brother to make hiding easier for Bill. He owed keeping Bill away from the police to the demon after he had risked his life in an attempt to bring Mabel to safety.

Blubs and Durland inspected the line carefully. Bill's hands shook rapidly as he heard the footsteps of the men. Ford could feel the reaction from Bill and have a quick glance down at the demon's hands. They were indeed shaking as he had suspected. Ford looked back up at the officers before they could notice. They saw nothing too suspicious from the group.

Not until they heard a sneeze.

Durland raised an eyebrow. Blubs did the same. The officers turned to look at each other. "Didja' see someone sneeze?" Durland asked his partner.

Blubs shook his head. "Did you?" He asked. Durland also shook his head. The two hummed in suspicion. Ford could feel Bill's trembling hands gripping on right to the arms of his jacket. Blubs walked over to Ford, noticing the look of unease on the older man's face.

Ford looked at the officer. He remembered a time in the multiverse when he had helped a short, friendly alien creature escape from security for a crime he hadn't commited by allowing the creature to hide behind his back. Ford has been able to remain perfectly calm in that situation, however he found it difficult to focus on the task at hand when he could feel Bill's heartbeat beating against his back as the blonde pressed up against him.

Blubs put his hands on his hips. "Mr. Pines, please move aside." He said. Stan nearly moved to the side, until realizing that the officer was talking to Ford. Cautiously, Ford took a side step to the right. Bill rushed over behind Stan, gripping into Stan now. Stan cringed at the rough grip on his arms, however he kept calm.

Blubs hummed and looked over at Stan now. As the officer inspected Stan, Ford gripped the side of his lab coat, reaching into a pocket from the inside and grabbing hold of a memory gun, holding it behind his back. Ford cleared his throat in a loud enough manner that got McGucket's attention from the other side of the line. Fiddleford looked behind him and noticed the memory gun behind Ford's back. He looked up at Stanford as Ford moved the gun slightly.

Fiddleford watched as both officers went to inspect Stan. Fiddleford took this chance to take a small step back, looking at Ford and extending his arms out towards him. Ford quickly stepped back by his brother and tossed the memory gun underhand, glancing at the gun as it spun in mid-air. Fiddleford leaned forward to grab the gun, sighing in relief as he successfully caught the memory gun in his arms. He stepped back beside Mabel, hiding the gun behind the girl's back as he spun the dial back and fourth to spell** _BLONDE SPEEDER._**

"He-Hey!" Stan exclaimed in annoyance as Durland moved him sideways, seeing Bill behind the other man.

Durland smirked. "Thought ye' could get away?" He asked, placing his hands on Bill's arms and moving him away from Stan. Ford and Stan looked at each other, then back at Bill. The demon glared at the officer.

"Get your hands off me!" Bill exclaimed, breaking free from Durland's grasp and clenching his fists, going in for a punch. Durland ducked down just in time to escape the fist. Blubs took the opportunity to grab the demon's wrists, forcing them behind Bill's back and shoving him against the wall.

Bill groaned and looked to the side, watching as Blubs got hand cuffs out from his belt, placing them on both Bill's wrists. "Cut it out!" Bill commanded.

Blubs ignored the man. "Bill Pines, we're placing you under arrest." He stated.

_"What?" _Bill cried out with a glare. "Come on! Isn't speeding just a ticket or something?" He asked.

"You hid," Durland stated. "That's probably enough to arrest ya'." He said.

"You can't do this!" Bill exclaimed, growling as he couldn't escape from the handcuffs. Durland grabbed Bill's shoulders in an attempt to push Bill out of the room.

Mabel looked behind her, eyes widening as she saw the memory gun charging up. McGucket looked at the girl and put a finger up to his lips, shushing her. Mabel watched as McGucket put the memory gun behind his back. _What is he doing? _She wondered.

Fiddleford cleared his throat and took a few steps forward, away from the line. He waved his spare hand in the air, yelling, "Hey, _hey! _Look over here, fellers!"

Blubs and Durland looked at the man in confusion. Durland took his hands off Bill's shoulders. McGucket put his finger over the trigger and took it out from behind his back, aiming it at the officers.

Durland raised an eyebrow. "What in tarnation?" He exclaimed with a bit of fear. Bill grinned.

"Put the gun away," Blubs began hesitantly.

Fiddleford shook his head. "Sorry, gentl'men, but ye've got the wrong guy." He said before firing the gun. Bill ducked down and rushed over towards the others as the gun hit Blubs and Durland. The officers eyes widened as their minds were erased.

Stan smirked over at Fiddleford. "Good one!" He complimented.

Fiddleford walked over to Ford and handed him the memory gun. Ford took it and placed it back in his lab coat. Bill stood up and looked at the officers as they rubbed their heads.

"What happened?" Deputy Durland asked.

"I can't recall." Blubs said, adjusting his glasses. "Last thing I remember was our lunch break." He muttered.

"Ye' wanna go play Connect 4?" Durland offered, raising an eyebrow.

Blubs chuckled and patted the other man on the back. "You know me too well, Edwin." He said with a smile. Edwin grinned, and the two police men walked out of the hospital room.

Dipper watched the two leave. "...Wow." He muttered. "I guess that worked well."

"Indeed," Ford said with a nod of his head.

Once everyone was sure the police were gone, the group all snuck out of the Emergency Exit. They walked down the long, slim hallway, the same way that they had originally came in. Normally they would have entered from the front door, until Stan and Ford noticed a flood of people in the parking lot. They had chosen to sneak around the side of the hospital rather than swimming through the crowd.

When they reached the parking lot, the Pines were glad to see that the crowd of people was gone. However, they didn't have time to admire the nice, orange sunset. Instead, they were shocked to see a large tow truck towing their car. Stan's jaw dropped at the sight. With a glare, he ran up to the vehicle.

_"Hey!"_ Stan shouted to the man towing their mashed up car. "Quit towin' our ride home!" He commanded, putting his hands on his hips.

The tower looked down at Stan. "Sir, if you wouldn't like us towing your vehicles, then I wouldn't recommend parking horizontally across three entire parking slots!" He shot back at the old man.

Stan and Ford frowned at this and turned to look at Bill, unamused. The demon noticed the stares and gave an awkward chuckle, drawing his eyes to the concrete ground.

"It won't happen again." Ford assured.

The tower sighed. "Sir, legally I cannot cease the towing without-" He began, until Stan leaned over the tow truck window. The tow truck driver looked at Stan with a raised eyebrow. The conman slipped a twenty dollar bill out of his pocket, handing it to the tow truck driver. The man tried to grab the dollar bill, however Stan pulled it away before he could grasp it.

"You can keep it if ya' buzz off." Stan stated.

The tow truck driver looked around him to make sure he wasn't being watched. After a moment, he took the twenty dollar bill and drove away before he could tow the vehicle. Stan smirked, watching as the younger man left.

The group made their way to the car. Mabel, Ford, and Bill walked behind the others at a bit slower of a pace. Before Mabel could open the back door of the car, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around and looked up to see Ford looking down at her with his hands behind his back. Mabel tilted her head.

"Mabel Pines, this was a _completely_ imbecilic stunt of yours." Ford began in a firm manner. Mabel frowned as Ford continued, "What on earth caused you to come to the absurd conclusion of pulling such an act?" He asked.

Mabel rubbed her other arm with her hand as she looked away. "Well..," She began in a mutter. "I-I thought that if I..." She continued, not making eye contact with her uncle.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "You can tell me, Mabel." He reassured, seeing the girl's shy behavior.

"Well, after I woke up in the car and saw Bill trying to help me, I-I thought that if I_ pretended_ to be in danger, you-you would forgive Bill, a-and not be mad at him all the time anymore." Mabel said with a sigh.

Ford was stunned by the answer. Hearing such a thing from Mabel was unexpected. Sure, a few people had told him that he shouldn't be so hard on Bill, but hearing it from Mabel was certainly something different. He adjusted his glasses with a small frown. He looked at Mabel once more, his face firm yet again.

"I expect you won't do this again?" Ford asked, folding his arms.

Mabel nodded slowly. "I'm sorry, Grunkle Ford..." She muttered. She looked behind Ford to see Bill standing there with a look a guilt. He noticed the girl looking at him and quickly changed his facial expression. He walked up to Ford and folded his arms.

"Come on, Sixer. Don't scold the kid." Bill said, looking at the scientist.

Ford turned to look at Bill. He put his hands on his hips and looked at the demon with an unreadable expression. "I don't need you telling me how to deal with things." He began. Bill rolled his eyes at this. Ford ignored the expression, continuing to speak. "And if anything, I should be scolding _you." _

Bill's mouth hung open at this, his eyes wide. "Wh-? _Me?"_ He asked, pointing at himself. Ford nodded, causing Bill to scoff. "You've gotta be kidding me! I risked my _life_ for that kid! I tried bringing her to safety when I knew that _no one else could!_ And you're planning on scolding _me?"_ He asked with a glare.

"You wrecked the car," Ford began, "You put my great niece in danger with your _maniacal_ driving. You ignored the speed limits and ended up getting chased down by the police. And you broke _several_ hospital rules!" He shot back, counting off the demon's mistakes with his fingers.

Bill hardened his glare. "So I made a few mistakes- I'm not perfect! At least I _tried_ to help her!" He stated, clenching his fists.

Ford mirrored the other's actions. "You did nothing but put her in danger!" He growled.

_"Stop!"_ Mabel exclaimed with a frown. Ford and Bill turned to look at the girl in unison, seeing the girl's eyes as they shined in the setting sunlight. "Both of you are acting ridiculous!" She said, folding her arms as her bottom lip quivered. "Why can't you just_ get along?"_ She asked, tears forming in her eyes. Neither Bill nor Ford were able to comment on the girl's question, Mabel turned around and disappeared into the back seat of the car, buckling her seatbelt and hiding herself into sweater town.

Ford and Bill had looks of both surprise and guilt on their faces. Bill folded his arms and looked away as Ford scratched the back of his neck, drawing his eyes to the ground. Moments later, Stan poked his head out of the broken front door window and said, "Pointdexter." Ford looked over at his brother, raising an eyebrow. Stan narrowed his eyes. "Car. Now." He said, pointing to the passengers seat. Ford sighed and walked over to the other side of the car without another word.

Bill walked over to the back seat of the car, where he now thought he was alone, until he felt a tiny hand grasp around his wrist. Bill raised an eyebrow and turned around to see Dipper looking up at him.

"What do you want, kid?" Bill asked.

Dipper sighed before speaking hesitantly. "Look man..." He began, "I... I just wanted to say..._ thanks."_ He muttered.

"Thanks?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why?" He asked.

"Well, I know that you didn't mean to cause any harm for once." Dipper said with a small shrug. "And... If Mabel really _had_ been in trouble, you would have saved my sister's life." He said. Dipper wished not to know what he would have done had Mabel been in true danger without anyone to help her. "So... _thank you."_ He muttered.

Bill looked down at the boy in surprise. He never would have thought Dipper would say such things. He had a small smile for a total of two seconds before realizing his expression. Bill turned it into a mocking smirk to brush off the strange moment that he had never imagined.

"Well, well, well!" Bill mused with the same smirk. Dipper looked up at the demon in confusion. "Who woulda' thought? Little Pine Tree? _Thanking_ me?" He asked, putting a hand over his heart. "I'm _touched."_ He said with a grin.

Dipper just rolled his eyes. "Don't make a big deal out of it." He muttered before walking over to the car. Bill followed the boy, not wishing to keep the others waiting. Dipper entered the car and noticed his sister hiding in sweater town. Bill too noticed the action and frowned. Dipper would be sure to remind himself to cheer Mabel up later.

**Oh man... I could have split this chapter in half... But I didn't. Why? Well, basically I'm trying to make each chapter the events of _one day_ for the next few chapters, being that the twins only have six days left in Gravity Falls before they go back to California.** **However, the last chapter and this chapter are the same day. Hopefully that was understood. **

**I'm cringing at the word count. Honestly. I hope the first half of this chapter didn't drag on too much. There wasn't much dialog I could put in the situations. As for the dagger, Soos and Melody, and some other unsolved things, some of that will be uncovered in the next chapter. **

**I ended up rewriting some of the hospital bits. I've had most of this chapter planned out for over a month now. The reason I messed up was likely because I had gotten one hour of sleep out of nearly two days. Heh... anyway, I went back and changed it to make it correct. **

**The Dipper thanking Bill bit, I had come up with whilst writing the chapter. I figured it would be best to leave the chapter on a somewhat-happy note after all the events of this chapter and the last. **

**N****ew chapter up soon! **


	41. Cookies and Steam

**Okay, I'm getting annoyed with myself. Half the time when I'm writing, I say "Door frame", and the other half of the time I say, "Doorframe". I've been switching between them when writing a lot, and it's beginning to annoy me. I don't know which I should stick with. Which would you guys prefer? Because I don't know.****..**

**I currently have a few projects going for Tumblr based on some future chapters. **

**One more thing; I got Lost Legends in the mail a couple days ago, and it's given me some ideas for future plot ideas. They're still very faint ideas, so I'll definitely have to do more thinking on them before anything comes together. (Not to mention I already have a few plot ideas in queue to write.) **

**Anyway, here's chapter 41 of 'Welcome Home'! **

The Pines had all returned to the shack late that night, no one saying much of anything. The only stable conversation would have been Dipper talking to Mabel in hopes of getting her to come out of sweater town. He frowned when Mabel refused to say much about her reasoning to him. Dipper wondered why Mabel was keeping so much from him as of recently. He told her lots of things- so what was the deal with being so secretive? When the people in the household went to bed, the shack seemed more silent than ever.

Bill was the only one who laid awake that night. Recently the demon had had various troubles with sleeping. Whether it was the feeling of being upset, annoyed, or alone, he wasn't sure what was causing him to get such a lack of sleep.

The next morning was a bit more talkative. Stan was back to scamming his customers with false anomalies and high prices, and Dipper was back to feeling adventurous. However, when he went up to his great uncle about the adventure they had planned for the day, the boy was left disappointed with the answer he had been given.

"Actually," Ford began as he stood in the living room. "I don't know if today would be the best day for that." He admitted.

"What?" Dipper asked, raising an eyebrow with a small frown.

"I'm sorry, Dipper," Ford continued. "But I have a bit larger of a focus today. I seem to have lost my notes on the sharpening spell."

"Oh!" Dipper said with a small chuckle. "Do you need any help finding it?" He offered.

Ford gave a small smile at his nephew's eagerness. "That's kind of you to offer your assistance, however with all the papers and notebooks you can find in this household, I'm sure it would be very difficult to find." He explained.

Dipper nodded slowly. "Okay," He muttered. "Maybe... Maybe tomorrow?" He asked in a hopeful manner.

"I'm sure that's feasible, being that there are only four days left until you both leave to California." Ford said with a nod of his head. With that, Dipper rushed away to inform Mabel and McGucket about the change in plans. He walked up the stairs, walking to his bedroom where he assumed his sister was at the time. Seeing Mabel knitting a sweater didn't come as much of a surprise to him, being that she would make them regularly. The thing that did surprise him was that Bill was sitting across from her in the middle of the room, attempting to knit along.

Mabel noticed Dipper's presence and smiled. "Hey brother!" She greeted. "Do you wanna join us?" She asked, putting her project aside and holding up a couple balls of yarn.

"I'm gonna pass," Dipper said with a shake of his head.

"Aw, come on!" Mabel whined. "It'll be fun!" She tried.

Dipper ignored the statement, "Actually, I just came up here to say that Great Uncle Ford changed the plans for today." He said.

"Plans?" Mabel repeated, tilting her head. "What plans?"

"Well, yesterday we were thinking about inviting you to join us out in the woods to go look for cool anomalies," Dipper began. "But Ford lost his notes on that sharpening spell he's been working on, so he's trying to find them." He explained.

Mabel hummed. "What's so special about that sharpening spell, anyway?" She asked. Dipper could only shrug. He didn't know much on the spell, other than it seemed important to Ford as of recently.

"I'll tell ya' what's special about it," Bill chimed in, looking up from his knitting project. Dipper and Mabel looked at Bill as he spoke. "That sharpening spell is so powerful that it could slice through a person or object faster than you could say or call for_ help." _He stated with a smirk.

Mabel looked at Bill and giggled. "Help!" She said, testing out the word as a joke. As soon as the words hit Bill's ears, he took a knitting needle in one hand, scooting over to the girl and placing it dangerously close to her neck with an evil-like grin. Mabel gasped, looking down at the needle. _"Help!"_ She exclaimed in a fearful manner.

Dipper gasped and shot a glare at the demon. "What are you doing?" He shouted, clenching his fists. The boy raised an eyebrow in complete confusion when his sister began laughing. Bill gave a short chuckle and looked over at Dipper. He took the needle away from Mabel's neck.

"Cool it, kid!" Bill chided with an eye roll. He threw the knitting needle in Dipper's direction, causing the boy to jump sideways whilst letting out a high-pitched cry of fear. Mabel and Bill laughed mockingly at Dipper's behavior.

Dipper hardened his glare. "That could have hit me in the eye!" He stated, putting his hands on his hips.

"I see no negative here," Bill responded. He laughed with a smirk. "Someone needs to take up the torch of being the beast with just one eye!" He stated.

Dipper growled in anger at the statement. He grabbed the doorknob of the room and slammed the door shut, storming away with an annoyed glare as he walked over towards the stairs to go back down to the living room.

Mabel looked at Bill once Dipper left the room and frowned. "Hey, Dip-dop's no beast!" She retorted, folding her arms. "He's my brother!"

"Can he be both?" Bill asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No!" Mabel stated, shaking her head. She opted to ignore Bill's eye roll, and instead put on a smile. "Hey, we should make cookies today!" She said in hopes of changing the subject.

Bill just tilted his head. "Cookies?" He repeated, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah!" Mabel beamed with a wide grin that showed off her braces. "Grunkle Stan loves cookies, and I'm sure Grunkle Ford will too!" She said.

Bill hummed at the statement. "I don't know how helpful I would be with something like that." He stated, folding his arms. "I've only ever tried baking once. And trust me- it went _horribly."_ He continued. "In fact, if Sixer hadn't been there to help, I probably would have burned down the shack." He added in more of a mutter.

"I'll help you!" Mabel said, the same smile on her face. "Cookies are one of the easiest things you could bake!"

"Ya' think so?" Bill asked, doubting the statement.

Mabel nodded with a grin. "I_ know so!_" She stated, nodding in confirmation. "As long as I'm here to help, you won't have to be scared of burning your home down!" She said.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "This is _not_ my home," He stated in a bitter manner. Mabel looked at the demon as he added, "It never _will be." _

Mabel frowned. Though she had figured the shack was as close to a home that Bill had, she couldn't argue with his statement. Mabel recalled that Bill had a massive distaste for being human. She figured that there was no way to change the way he felt about the shack, and she certainly didn't wish to push the demon into believing something if he would know in his heart that it was incorrect.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ford was in the kitchen searching for his notes, and where he could have _possibly_ misplaced them.

_They couldn't have gone far._ Ford thought to himself. _I had them just the other day, and I've kept it on me at all times since I began taking notes on the subject. Where could they be? _

Ford's attention was turned to the phone ringing on the kitchen table. He looked out the window to see Stan doing an outside tour with the golf cart. Being that Stan was unavailable, Ford walked over to the phone, picking it up and speaking a, "Hello?"

_"Hey dude, I-Is Ford there?"_ Soos, who was on the other line, asked.

"Speaking." Ford answered.

Soos cringed at his mistake. Regardless, he continued, _"Oh, w-well, I think you forgot something of yours in the back of my truck, dawg." _He stated.

"Did I?" Ford questioned, raising an eyebrow. "What was it that I had left?" He asked.

_"Well, I-It was a little notebook with some nerd notes about a spell. so I figured it was yours."_ Soos responded. He cringed once more the moment his answer registered in his head. He hoped that the 'nerd' remark hadn't offended the man.

Thankfully for Soos, Ford hadn't seemed bothered by the label whatsoever. "Oh yes, that's mine." Ford said with an awkward chuckle. "Would there be any chance that I could come to retrieve it?" He asked.

_"Sure, that would be great!"_ Soos said with a smile._ "I-I mean, it would be, uh... nice." _He restated, trying not to let his glee get too out of hand.

Ford gave a small smile to this. "Excellent, I'll be over momentarily." He informed. Ford thanked the handyman before hanging up the phone. He was relieved that his notes were safe rather than lost or placed in the wrong hands.

He turned around to see Mabel walk into the kitchen. The girl looked up and saw her uncle. She gasped and avoided eye contact, afraid that Ford was still upset with her about faking her injury just the other day. She wished not to cause any more problems, causing her to draw her eyes to the floor.

Ford, however, didn't seem as upset as Mabel had expected. "Good morning, Mabel." He greeted.

Mabel looked up to see a small smile on Ford's face. "G-Good morning, Grunkle Ford..." She greeted back in more of a mutter.

Ford noticed the downcast expression on his niece's face. He tilted his head in concern. "Is everything alright?" He asked. Mabel shrugged slowly with an inaudible sigh, looking away once more. Ford hummed and knelt down to match Mabel's height, ruffling her hair gently. "If it's about yesterday, you don't need to beat yourself down about it." He stated.

"But..." Mabel said. "I still feel bad." She muttered. Mabel looked up when she heard her uncle speak once more.

"Which is perfectly understandable," Ford began, "And I'm not denying that what you did yesterday was out of place. In fact, it was completely horrendous." He said in a firm manner. He saw the look of building guilt on Mabel's face, and softened his tone. "What I_ am_ saying is that the_ best way_ to deal with something is to move past it." He said with a small smile.

"Like what you're doing with Bill?" Mabel asked, putting her hands on her hips.

Ford's smile fell. Words seemed to fail him after being asked that question. After a moment of silence, Ford opened his mouth as if to say something. He closed it when he looked over Mabel's shoulder, seeing Bill walk down from upstairs.

He sighed. "Well, yes." Ford answered with a slow nod of his head.

Mabel's eyes widened at the confirmation. She saw the scientist rise back up, standing now as he looked over by the stairs. Mabel turned around in confusion to see the man mentioned walking towards the kitchen. She looked back at Ford. "Why?" She pressed on.

Ford looked back down at Mabel. "Hm?" He mumbled, raising an eyebrow.

"What good does 'moving past' and ignoring Bill do?" Mabel asked, folding her arms.

Stanford exchanged glances from over at Bill, and down at Mabel. He shifted as the demon continued to approach. Ford looked at Mabel with a look of unease. "I...I'm not sure that's a very adequate question." He said in more of a mutter.

By the time Ford had spoken, Bill had already arrived over by the kitchen doorframe. He had heard the question Mabel had asked as he had walked over, and now seemed curious of the answer himself. He folded his arms and leaned on the doorframe, looking at the other man.

"Nah, she's got a point, Sixer." Bill said. "Ya' know, I'm curious to hear the answer myself." He added.

Mabel looked at the two. Ford seemed taken aback by the question he now had to answer, whereas Bill gave the scientist a look that _expected_ an answer. Ford adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Curiosity can get the best of people." He stated, trying to leave the kitchen. Bill stepped in the way of Ford before he could leave, placing his hands on both sides of the doorframe.

"Don't think you can just_ leave."_ Bill said in a firm manner. "You can't answer like _that!"_ He practically chided.

Ford narrowed his eyes. "Get out of my way." He hissed.

"You want me out of your way?" Bill asked. "Then you're gonna have to _move me!"_ He challenged with a small glare.

"That's ridiculous." Ford muttered, shaking his head with folded arms.

"Alright then, answer Shooting Star's question!" Bill said, looking at the man.

Ford huffed. _"If_ I give you an answer, will you move out of the doorway?" He asked, putting his hands behind his back. Bill nodded at the question, causing Ford to go silent for a moment. "Moving on is the best way to deal with all of this, especially after what you've done as of recently." He stated in a bitter manner.

Ford took a step closer to Bill, causing the demon to take a step to the side. Bill watched as the scientist looked over at the back door, as if he were about to go somewhere. Before Ford could leave, Bill grabbed Ford's wrist and turned him around. Ford's eyes widened at the sudden movement made by the other. Bill kept his grip on his wrist with one hand, putting his other hand on Ford's chin to face the scientist to look at him. Mabel watched the interaction and smiled.

"Answer something for me," Bill began.

Ford shot a glare at the man. "Bill, I have to _leave."_ He stated.

"Answer something for me first," Bill commanded in a bitter tone. Ford narrowed his eyes at the man before Bill asked, "What _am I_ to you?"

Ford just raised an eyebrow at the question asked. _"Excuse me?"_ He started, looking at the demon who stared him down. Ford looked over at Mabel for a quick moment, looking at his niece that still stood in the kitchen. There was no way he could speak his mind truthfully in this situation. He looked back at Bill and said, "This is_ not_ the type of topic to be discussing,_ especially_ not right now."

Bill could only scoff at this._ "What,_ are you _scared _to tell me?" He asked in a manner that could be easily mistaken for mockery. "What is it you're afraid of? _What's_ the big deal?" He questioned, tightening his grip on Ford's chin.

Ford used his spare hand to grab Bill's wrist that held onto his face. He pulled the demon's hand away. "Don't touch me,_ Cipher."_ He commanded with narrowed eyes. He wished to keep his answers as limited of information as possible, as he didn't want to potentially lead Bill on to the fact that there was still a chance. Ford had no time to hear Bill's excuses of why he did what he did to Brock. Ford looked back at Bill. "I have _reasons_ for doing what I've done." He stated, putting his hands in his lab coat pockets. "You have nothing but excuses." He added, as he headed towards the door.

Bill watched Ford leave with clenched fists. "Coward." He muttered under his breath. He watched as Ford opened the back door, closing it behind him as he headed outside. Bill growled. "He can't even answer the _one_ question I've wanted to know all week!" He said, putting a hand in his hair out of frustration.

Mabel walked over to Bill and sighed. "I'm sorry, Bill." She muttered.

"No offense, Shooting Star," Bill began, looking down beside him to look at the teenager. "But there's _no way_ all this can be fixed in four days."

Mabel put her hands on her hips. "There's always a second chance!" She tried.

Bill clenched his fists by his sides. "I've already_ used_ my second chance!" He shouted with a glare. Mabel gasped at the demon's sudden change of tone, and she took a small step away to give Bill some space. Bill noticed his tone of voice and lowered it with a sigh, drawing his eyes to the floor. "There's no such thing as a third chance with someone like him." He added in more of a mutter.

"He gave Grunkle Stan a third chance!" Mabel retorted, folding her arms. "Grunkle Stan ruined Ford's science fair project in high school, and he forgave him enough to ask him a favor ten years later. Then when Grunkle Stan pushed Grunkle Ford into the portal, he tried getting him back for thirty years, ignoring Grunkle Ford's warnings not to. And Ford still forgave Grunkle Stan for that, too!" She said.

"That's because they're_ brothers,"_ Bill stated with a shake of his head. "They're family." He said.

"You're family, too!" Mabel stated.

Bill shot a glare at Mabel. "I'm _not _family. I've already told you, I'm family to _no-one, _and I never will be!" He said, shouting once more. He once more caught his tone of voice and sighed, not wishing to frighten the girl with his tone. He pinched the bridge of his nose, shutting his eyes and groaning.

"I'm sorry..." Bill muttered. "I'm just..." He began, unable to find the correct words for what he was trying to say.

Mabel just nodded in an understanding manner. She didn't blame the demon for his sudden outburst. She too knew the pain of tough love, and understood that it was difficult to get through. She figured the best way to change the subject was to get back to the task at hand.

"So... Should we make those cookies now?" Mabel offered.

Bill looked over behind him at the kitchen to see it still remaining unoccupied. He looked at Mabel and gave a nod of his head. This gave Mabel the idea to walk back into the kitchen, Bill walking behind her.

"We'll need to lay out our ingredients," Mabel began. "Grunkle Ford taught me that!" She said with a smile.

"Yeah," Bill muttered, "Me too." He said.

Mabel raised an eyebrow in confusion at the remark, however she opted to ignore it for now. "Do you know where Grunkle Stan keeps the cook book?" She asked.

Bill looked up at the shelf above him. He clenched a fist and punched the wall, causing the book to shift from the motion and fall off the shelf. Bill grinned at Mabel as he did so, which caused her more confusion. The cook book would have hit Bill in the head, had his other hand not been there to catch it. He didn't seem bothered whatsoever. Instead, he looked at the book in his hand and set it down beside the stove.

Mabel took a long blink of her eyes before looking down at the cook book. "I guess that answers one question." She said with a small chuckle, opening the book and flipping through the pages to find the correct page. "Aha!" She said with a smile, pointing her finger down at the cookie recipe. "I found it!" She announced. "Let's get those ingredients!" She said with a grin. With that, the two were off to find the ingredients needed for the cookies.

* * *

Meanwhile, Ford was on his way to Soos' grandmother's house. Originally, he had assumed the drive would be peaceful. This, however, was not the case. Not with the thoughts from moments ago. He wondered why Bill had decided to lash out so suddenly. Surely the demon knew not to do such things in front of the kids, so what was his reason for it?

_Surely he's just looking for attention._ Ford figured to himself. _Which is the exact opposite of what he should be given. _

The thought of Fiddleford's question from the other day crossed his mind._ "What_ is it_ that he deserves, Stanford?"_ McGucket had asked. _"What exactly do ye' think Bill deserves?" _Ford had given the question very little thought. Mainly because he wished not to think of it. Ford knew that his reasonings for shunning Bill were completely valid and correct. He didn't understand why the others were defending the demon so much. Some days Ford thought the others were trying to 'talk some sense into him', which was absolutely absurd.

It became difficult for Ford to move on from the horrible man when the people around him kept bringing up the topic of his act of avoiding Bill. He didn't care to hear about Bill's 'reasonings' for doing what he did. Ford was certain that whatever the man had to say would be nothing but excuses. No matter how much Bill wished he would listen, Ford wouldn't. He _couldn't. _

_They're wrong. _Ford told himself. _They're all wrong. _

He saw Abuelita's house just a few houses away. He parked at the side of the fence, and stopped the vehicle. When he got out of the car, he cringed at the damage done on the vehicle, and kept the thought of damage repair expenses out of his head for the time being. He had a more important manner to attend to.

Ford shut the car door and walked up to the house. He walked up the small steps and stood in front of the door. He hesitated for a moment before knocking on the door. The moment he knocked on the door, he could hear a muffled exclaim from Soos shouting, _"He's here!". _This left Ford skeptical, he wasn't sure if there was something suspicious going on, or if the handyman was just happy. Regardless of his questions on the muffled remark, he put on a smile when Soos opened the front door.

"Hey dude!" Soos said with a wide grin.

"Hello." Ford responded with a small smile. He figured it would be best to get straight to the point, so he said, "Do you have the notes?"

Soos nodded at the question. "Of course! Come in, dawg!" He said, taking a step back and holding the door open for the older man. Ford stepped inside and was surprised to see and hear a quiet household. With a baby present, he had assumed that there would be a bit of racket.

Ford walked in to the house, not paying much attention to the ground below him. He took a step forward, nearly stepping on a rubber duck, had Soos not stopped him by putting an arm out. Ford looked at Soos in confusion, then looked down at the floor.

"Oh yes," Ford mumbled with an awkward chuckle. "I'm sorry about that." He apologized.

"It's all good." Soos said with a simple shrug. "Just keep it down. Abuelita is asleep, and I think Melody just got Brock to get a nap, too." He said.

Ford just nodded. He opted not to bring up the fact that Soos had just shouted when he knocked on the door. He continued to walk forward, being careful to watch the toys on the floor. Soos kept unnecessarily moving Ford, grabbing onto his shoulders and shifting him side to side as if assisting the older man to dodge the miniature obstacles.

"Whoops, watch your step. Move aside, there's something there. Watch out, dawg. Another duck. Oops, don't know what that's doing there!" Soos kept saying, keeping watch of what was on the ground as he guided Ford around the small toys.

Ford opened his mouth to say something on the unnecessary contact, however he chose not to comment. He figured doing so would be out of place on his part. Soos let go of the sides of his shoulders and pointed down the hall.

"It's in Brock's room." Soos informed.

_Why would it be in the baby's room, of all places?_ Ford asked himself. He remembered that Melody had tried getting Brock to sleep. Fear rushed through him at the thought of her coming across the notebook and looking inside. That would be problematic. He was sure that Melody was already confused enough at how she had been resuscitated, and she surely didn't need a miniature college-ruled notepad filled with information about a sharpening spell on her mind. Ford was sure that Melody wasn't ready for something like that, let alone being introduced to all of the weirdness Gravity Falls had to offer.

Ford silently rushed down the hallway, stopping in his tracks at the sight of an open wooden door to the left. He poked his head inside and saw Melody sitting on a comfortable chair, rocking Brock in her arms as the baby boy yawned. She looked up and looked at the door, giving a small smile to the visitor.

"Do you need something?" Melody asked in a hushed tone.

Ford gave a nod of his head. "Yes, there was a notepad I had left behind in Soos' truck from a few days ago," He informed, speaking quietly. "Would you happen to know where that is?" He asked.

"Yeah, it's on that shelf." She said, keeping Brock in her other arm as she pointed at the wooden shelf hanging above the white dresser. Ford looked over at the shelf and saw his notes atop the shelf. He thanked the woman and took a couple steps into the room, reaching up towards the shelf and grabbing hold of his miniature notebook. He opened it up and flipped through the pages, making sure that nothing sketchy was present. At the relief of there being nothing to worry about, he smiled and placed the notes inside his lab coat.

Brock shifted in Melody's arms. She figured that he was waking up from his nap. Ford turned away to head out of the room, until he heard Melody call out to him. He turned around, raising an eyebrow. "Yes?" He questioned.

Melody looked down at Brock, seeing his eyes open slowly. She looked back at Ford. "Um... Would you mind grabbing that for me?" Melody asked, pointing at the baby bottle on the dresser. Ford looked beside him at the dresser, seeing a bottle of milk atop it. He took hold of the bottle and walked over towards the woman, handing it to her.

"Thank you." Melody said with a smile, taking the bottle and putting it up towards Brock's mouth to feed him.

Ford looked down at the child and gave a warm smile. "He's a lovely baby." He commented. Ford mentally cringed after he said those words, hoping the mother wouldn't find it strange.

Luckily, Melody just smiled. "Isn't he?" She asked with a chuckle. "Actually, ever since your boyfriend mentioned the palm-rubbing trick to Soos and I, helping Brock to calm down has been a lot easier than we thought it would be." She said.

Ford shifted at the 'boyfriend' label given. He felt his face flush, to his distaste. Regardless of the hopefully unapparent blush across his cheeks, he cleared his throat. "He's... He's not boyfriend." He stated, folding his arms and looking away in hopes of hiding his face. If he was trying to keep Bill out of his life, he wished he wouldn't be put in to situations such as this.

Melody caught on to Ford's look of embarrassment. She felt a bit of guilt for assuming the relationship status. "Oh," She blurted out. "I-I'm sorry." She apologized.

"No, no. Please," Ford began. "You have nothing to apologize for." He assured.

Soos poked his head out by the door frame. "Hey dawg, did you find it?" He asked.

Ford turned around to see the handyman looking back at him. Ford nodded and awkwardly left the room. Soos gave a small smile to his girlfriend before walking with Ford back to the living room.

"So... Is that it?" Soos asked.

Ford stopped in the living room and nodded. "I suppose so." He said. Soos frowned for a split second before noticing his facial expression and returning it back to its neutral state. Ford caught the look just in time and adjusted his glasses. He looked at the handyman before speaking in a hushed tone.

"If I may ask..." Ford began. Soos looked up and nodded quickly, eager to hear what the author had to say. "How are things with your grandmother?" He questioned.

Soos tilted his head. "What... What do you mean?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck and looking away.

Ford could tell that the handyman wore a look of unease, so he chose his words carefully before speaking. "Well, I happen to remember you speaking openly about her concerns with the situations at the hospital. Has she... brought it up at all?" He asked.

Soos sighed. "Well, yeah..." He answered in more of a mutter. "It's kinda personal..." He stated.

Ford nodded in an understanding manner. "Of course," He said. "I respect your privacy."

"But, if you insist," Soos said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Ford shifted. "I-I never insisted-" He tried to no avail, as the handyman had already begun speaking.

_"It all started_ when Abuelita got a phone call from the hospital!" Soos began in a bit louder of a tone. Ford cringed and wondered if Soos' sudden eagerness of speaking of the situation was merely for _his_ satisfaction, or is he just needed someone to speak to about it all. "She was on the couch knitting a scarf when the telephone rang. She answered the phone, and heard about the situation of Brock going missing, Melody dying, and me running off to go find him." He continued.

Ford clenched his fists slightly at the reminder of the terrible thing Bill had done.

"Then," Soos began once more, "When I had come home hours later with Brock, and without Melody, she started asking questions." He said in a nervous manner. "Actually, she was the most upset I've seen her in... _Years."_ He stated with a shudder. "As she's gotten older, she's been so calm and peaceful. She hasn't yelled in so long..." He muttered.

Ford frowned. "I'm so sorry." He said with a sympathetic shake of his head.

"Luckily she got too tired to ask questions for the night," Soos continued, not wishing to stop for symphony. "Abuelita fell asleep in her chair, and I got Brock to bed. Surprisingly he was pretty quiet throughout the night. I only had to wake up from his crying once." He said with a small chuckle. "A-Anyway, I woke up the next morning and headed out to the Mystery Shack with Brock before Abuelita could wake up." He said.

"Is that why you stopped by so unexpected?" Ford asked.

Soos nodded in confirmation. "Yeah, B-But I made sure to call Stan first." He said. "I used the state of Wendy never seeing Brock as an excuse to not explain what was going on." He admitted in more of a mutter. "I-I mean, she _hadn't_ seen him, but... that wasn't the point." He said.

"I understand your reasoning for saying so." Ford said. "I'm sorry things have been so hectic. You're certainly not the _only_ man who has been tricked by Bill." He murmured.

"Tricked?" Soos repeated, raising an eyebrow. "N-No, I wasn't tricked by Bill. I-In fact, he helped more than he harmed." He pointed out.

"Is that so?" Ford asked, doubting the statement.

"Oh absolutely, dawg!" Soos said, a smile appearing on his face. "Sure, he may have taken Brock, but he didn't cause Melody's death. If Bill hadn't been there, Melody would have had a natural death from the pregnancy. He saved her life!" Soos stated.

Ford folded his arms at this. "That can't be right..." He muttered. He looked at the handyman once more. "Did Bill, in some way, _instruct you _to say these things?" He asked.

"Uh... N-No." Soos replied in blunt confusion. He wasn't sure why Ford would have asked such an unusual question. Was there something going on convincing Ford that Bill had something planned?

Ford caught on to Soos' minor hesitancy when he had spoken, as well as the minor stutter. He hummed and figured Soos was trying to hide the truth by lying. Regardless of what was true and what was not, Ford didn't wish to bother the younger man for much longer.

"I see," Ford muttered in a low tone. "Well, I'll be on my way. Thank you, Soos." He thanked, offering the handyman a small smile.

"Oh, it's an honor, dawg!" Soos chirped. He gasped after the words left his mouth, and chuckled awkwardly. "I-I mean... it's no problem!" He said, correcting himself as he adjusted his hat.

Ford just chuckled. "Take care." He said before walking towards the front door. Soos watched the scientist leave. He felt idiotic for saying such a strange thing in front of the older man, however he was relieved to know that Ford didn't think much of it. Ford opened the door, closing it behind him.

Soos sighed. "He's so cool." He muttered aloud in awe after being sure that Ford had left.

Melody walked up behind Soos with Brock in her arms. Soos turned around and smiled at his girlfriend. He looked down at Brock to see him fast asleep once more. Soos gently took hold of his son when Melody handed Brock to him. He looked down at the baby with a warm smile. He was glad to have his family reunited and unharmed. A part of him wondered why Ford was so hard on the demon. Regardless, he didn't think about the question for too long. He had family to spend his thoughts and time with.

Soos rocked Brock gently in his arms. Melody smiled and gave her boyfriend a sweet peck on the cheek. Soos returned Melody's smile.

"Has Abuelita asked any more questions?" Melody asked.

Soos shrugged. "Not today," He said. "It's probably for the best. I-I don't think she could handle the truth." He muttered.

"I don't blame you for thinking that," Melody agreed with a shrug, folding her arms. "You've explained all of this to me, and I_ still_ don't know if I understand everything." She stated.

"It's a lot to think about." Soos replied. Melody nodded before Soos continued, "I don't know how she would react to all of it." He said with a sigh. He looked at his girlfriend. "I'm sorry everything is so crazy." Soos apologized with a frown.

"It's okay, Soos. You don't need to apologize." Melody assured, resting a hand on her boyfriend's shoulder. Soos looked at Melody and returned the warm smile looking back at him. Melody looked at Brock. "Well, if he's asleep, we should probably tuck him in." She said.

Soos nodded. "Good idea." He said before walking over to the baby's room. Melody watched Soos leave, then turned to look at the door. She walked over towards it, stepping beside it to look out the window. She hesitantly peeked through the curtain, seeing Ford driving down the road. She hummed in confusion at the state of the car and wondered what could have possibly happened. She reminded herself that the man was a scientist, and the damage was likely from a lab accident of some sort. Regardless, she knew better than to question it.

* * *

"Can you put the sugar in?" Mabel asked Bill as she cracked a couple eggs in the kitchen.

"Sure thing, Shooting Star!" Bill responded with a grin. He looked at the ingredients on the counter. He looked between two different containers, one containing sugar, and the other containing salt. He hummed in confusion at the two, not knowing which one was the sugar. He opened the lid of one and was about to stick his hand inside it to taste it.

Mabel turned to look at the demon and gasped. "Bill! Don't do that!" She chided.

"Huh?" Bill asked, stopping frozen in motion and looking back at the young teenager. "Why not?" He asked.

"Grunkle Stan says we shouldn't put our hands in the ingredients!" Mabel responded.

Bill groaned. "But I washed my hands!" He complained.

"Maybe, but you just measured the flour, it'll get mixed in!" Mabel pointed out.

Bill just sighed. "Alright, whatever." He grumbled, taking his hand out of the container. He grabbed one of the two containers, _assuming it_ to be the sugar, and measured the proper amount. He took the substance he figured was the sugar and placed the correct amount in the bowl. "Now what?" Bill asked.

"Now..." Mabel began, "We mix the liquid ingredients with the dry!" She said with a smile. "Well, after you mix in the sugar, we do." She added. Bill nodded at the order and took a spoon, mixing the ingredients together for a bit. When Bill was done mixing, Mabel poured in the other ingredients.

Mabel smiled. "Grunkle Stan and Ford are gonna love this!" She beamed, mixing the batter. "You put the sugar in, right?" She asked.

"Sure did." Bill answered with a nod of his head. To the side of him on the counter were the two containers. The 'sugar' container Bill had just previously used had a paper star stuck on it with tape, (courtesy of Mabel back during the summer). The paper star's tape lost its ability to stick, causing the star to come off and fall to the floor. On the container, the assumed sugar label read_ 'Salt'._

Stan walked into the kitchen, adjusting his fez and exhaling in a tired manner.

Mabel turned to look at the man. "Hi Grunkle Stan!" She said with a grin.

"Hi sweetie," Stan said, his tired state clear by the way he spoke

Bill looked at the conman in confusion as Stan tried breathing normally. He raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with _you?"_ He asked.

"Those tourists are crazy," Stan answered, shaking his head. "There were three of 'em askin' for refunds. _Three!"_ He stated with a scoff.

Mabel gasped. "Did you scam them again?" She asked.

Stan just gave a chuckle. "Mabel, that's an everyday scenario." He said, folding his arms. "The heads on the chick-hens were fallin' off when the tourists walked off with 'em. They came back angry like ungrateful ninnies. I told 'em there are no refunds, but before I knew it there was a growing mob!" He said, huffing.

Bill just snickered. "Well, maybe you shoulda' left before they could do anything about it." He said with a shrug.

Stan just glared at the demon. "Don't you start givin' me advice, you're the one who put the heads on the chick-hens in the first place. I should be blamin' you for any damage they could've caused." He stated, putting his hands on his hips.

Bill rolled his eyes. "I was _tired,_ Fez. I'm not perfect." He said.

"That would explain the bags under your eyes." Stan grumbled.

Bill's eyes widened. "Wh- Pff- Wh-_ B-Bags?"_ He sputtered frantically.

"Yup." Stan muttered.

"I don't have eye bags!" Bill retorted. He grabbed a metal spoon from on the counter and gasped at the sight of minor eye bags forming underneath his eyes.

Mabel looked at Bill and saw him over reacting. "It's okay! They're hard to see, I didn't even notice them until Stan pointed them out!" She tried.

"How come you care so much about your appearance?" Stan asked.

Bill huffed. "Well I _used_ to say I couldn't care less about this dumb meat sack, but if I'm restricted to live in it, I don't want to look old and beat up like _you!"_ He said.

Stan shot a glare at the demon. "Watch it." He commanded through clenched teeth. After a moment, his eyes were drawn over to the bowl in Mabel's arms. "What'cha got there?" He asked his niece, raising an eyebrow.

"Cookie batter!" Mabel responded with a grin.

Stan hummed and walked over towards the dough forming in the bowl. He took a finger and stuck it inside the dough, taking a bit and popping it into his mouth. Mabel cringed, hoping that her uncle had washed his hands recently. Regardless, she looked at Stan to see his reaction.

"How is it?" Mabel asked.

Stan took a moment before responding. "It's very... _flavorful."_ He said, trying not to gag. Instead, he took a large gulp in hopes of getting the overly-salted substance down his throat. He placed a hand on the counter, forcing an assuring smile.

Mabel squealed at the assumingly positive reaction. "Yay!" She exclaimed. "Then they're ready for the oven!" She said, rushing to get the cookie sheets.

Bill looked at Stan and took a long blink. "Ya' look strange." He stated.

"I was just chased down by angry employee's. What were you expectin'?" Stan grumbled.

Bill shook his head. "It's not that," He said, folding his arms and squinting his eyes in suspicion. His eyes widened at a sudden realization. "Oh! I see what's going on here. You don't need to hide it, Fez." Bill stated with an eye roll.

Stan's eyes widened in minor fear of his bluffing needing work. "You-You do?" He asked.

"I'm not an idiot," Bill began, "You're clearly worried about getting an E-coli lecture from Sixer. He'd be on your back about it if he saw you eat raw cookie dough." He said with a smirk.

Stan nodded slowly with an awkward laugh. "Uh... yeah, you got me!" He lied.

Bill grinned. "Of course I did, I know all!" He said.

_Do ya' really?_ Stan asked himself. Regardless, he excused himself from the kitchen. The direct moment Stan left the kitchen, he dashed towards the gift shop in a frantic hurry, tossing the door open and rushing over towards the employee counter.

Wendy looked at her boss in confusion. "Uh.. Mr. Pines?" She addressed, seeing the frantic, desperate look in his eyes.

"Ya' see any water around here?" Stan asked, looking around.

"Um..." Wendy muttered. She hesitantly took hold of her water bottle and bought it close towards her in attempt to hide it. Luckily for Stan, he caught sight of the beverage just in time.

"Aha!" Stan exclaimed with a grin. He extended an arm over the counter and grabbed the water from the teenager's grasp. Wendy put her arms out in annoyance, trying to grab the bottle. Before she could retrieve her water, Stan unscrewed the lid and desperately bought the top up to his mouth, downing the beverage at a quick page.

Wendy looked at the action in both annoyance an clear confusion. "What are you doing?" She asked.

Stan gulped down the rest of the clear beverage. He made a heavy exale as he finished off the rest of the beverage. Stan tossed the bottle back at Wendy and rubbed his forehead.

"Mabel and Bill are makin' cookies," Stan answered. "The dough's saltier than my brother on a Saturday, but I didn't have the heart to tell 'em that." He stated.

"I thought you_ liked_ salty foods," Wendy said. She remembered that her boss had said Bill was assisting Mabel in the kitchen, hence the reason her eyes widened in fear. "Wait-_ Bill's_ helping?" She asked, horrified, standing up now.

"Yup." Stan muttered. "I'd blame 'im for it, but I did something similar when I was younger. Once I switched up the salt with sugar, and the sugar with salt. It made Pa's birthday cake really salty. That's probably why I got grounded for a month." He said, laughing.

Wendy folded her arms. "Mr. Pines, what if Bill tries poisoning the cookies?" She asked.

Stan shook his head. "Bill's somethin' for sure, but I don't think he'd poison cookies. He's got no reason to." He stated.

"He's unpredictable," Wendy argued. "You could have just fallen into a trap, man." She said.

Ten minutes later, Wendy and Stan looked over at the gift shop door to see Ford walk into the room. He had a relieved look on his face, which gave off a good sign to the others in the room.

"Hey, Pointdexter." Stan greeted, leaning on the gift shop counter with his arms folded. "Did ya' find your diary notes?" He asked.

Ford ignored the diary insult and instead reached into his lab coat, pulling his recently found notepad out of his pocket. He held it up with a smile.

"Yes," Ford answered, putting the notepad back into his coat. "I had foolishly left them in the back of Soos' truck a few days ago when we had gone to the forest to help Melody. Luckily it had been safely kept away from their baby, so it couldn't be damaged." He said. His nose picked up the familiar scent of baked goods. Ford looked back at his brother. "Are the twins baking?" He asked.

"Mabel and Bill," Stan responded with a nod of his head. Ford hummednon minor suspicion at the response, causing Stan to roll his eyes. "C'mon Pointdexter, don't go thinkin' like Wendy." He said, saying _'Wendy'_ as if the name were a disease.

"Have you checked on them at all?" Ford asked, concerned that something could be potentially going wrong.

Stan shrugged. "I did about ten minutes ago." He said.

Ford sighed at this. "I suppose I should go see what they're up to." He said before walking towards the employee's only door. Stan shrugged as his brother left the room. For a moment he wondered why Ford needed those notes so badly. If he wanted help on the sharpening spell, how come he wouldn't just ask Bill for help? Stan didn't wish to think on this for too long, as he had other things to attend to before the gift shop were to close.

Ford walked through the living room, headed towards the kitchen. He stood by the doorframe and saw Mabel taking cookies off a cooking pan onto a cooling rack. Bill was placing his hand on the hot cookie pans, hissing in delight at the burning sensation. This was another one of those strange actions from the demon that the Pines chose to ignore.

Mabel was first to notice the presence of the old man. "Hi, Grunkle Ford!" She beamed. Bill turned to look over at the doorframe at hearing the name of the scientist.

Ford gave his niece a smile. "Hello, sweetie." He greeted in return. He took a few steps into the kitchen and hovered over the cookies, trying to identify what kind they were. "What do we have here?" He asked.

"Cookies!" Mabel responded with a smile.

"I see," Ford said with a nod of his head. "Well, it's reassuring to know that the two of you didn't burn the house down while I was away." He said in more of a mutter.

Bill just laughed. "Not like last time." He commented. Mabel and Ford both gave him blank facial expressions. Bill noticed the unamusement clearly shown from the others and gave an awkward chuckle. "Yeah, that was bad..." He muttered.

Mabel turned to look at Ford once more. "Do you want one when they're cooled?" She asked.

"Perhaps," Ford answered. "You didn't _do anything_ to them, did you?" He asked the two, though he looked at Bill as he spoke. Bill noticed how the question was directed towards him and looked away. Ford narrowed his eyes at the response and hummed. "Well, I suppose one wouldn't hurt." He said with a small smile.

Mabel clapped her hands in glee and smiled. She got two cups from out of the cabinet and turned to look at Bill before placing the cups on the table. "Bill, could you get the milk and water from in the fridge?" She asked. Bill nodded at the request and went to get the said beverages. He took the two out of the fridge and slowly poured milk into one of the cups.

"Where did you go today, Grunkle Ford?" Mabel asked, looking at her uncle.

Bill, too, was curious to hear the answer. He grabbed the water pitcher while looking over at the two and began pouring the beverage, paying no attention to where or what cup it was being poured into. Not knowing he was doing so, the water was being poured into the milk glass. The milk and water mixed together in the cup. Bill's hand moved slightly to pour the water in the other cup. He looked back at the glasses, wondering why the water was pouring so slowly into its proper cup. He shrugged and looked as he poured.

_Did I pour that much milk?_ Bill asked himself. He shook the thought out of his head- it probably didn't matter.

Mabel grabbed a cookie and placed it on a plate, bringing it over to the table beside the beverages. Bill had spilled a bit of water on the table, hence the reason he was so quick to clean it up. He wished not to have a lecture from Ford about cleanliness.

Ford just chuckled. "Mabel, dear, there's no need for a setup." She said.

"Yuh-huh!" Mabel retorted. "Chocolate chip cookies are fancy!" She stated. Mabel took hold of her uncle's hand, guiding the man over to the table. She tried getting him to sit down, only for Ford to deny.

"Mabel, please. I'm fine." Ford assured, remaining standing. Mabel just shrugged, she didn't mind going along with his request. She took hold of the plate and pushed it closer to the man.

"Try it!" Mabel beamed with a smile.

"Yeah," Bill nodded in agreement. "We made them special." He said.

Ford hummed at the statement. The 'special' statement have him a small reason to worry. He wondered if Bill had in fact done something to the cookies. Then again, Ford knew that Bill wouldn't dare ruin sweets. At knowing this, Ford extended an arm towards the plate, picking up the cookie and bringing it up to his mouth. After a moment of hesitance, he took a bite of the cookie, munching on the half he had consumed.

Mabel and Bill watched the man's expression to see how he would react. just a few moments after Ford had tried the cookie, the two who had made them were surprised and confused when he clutched his throat.

Ford put a hand up to his mouth, trying to keep himself from offending those who had created the treat by spitting it out. The taste of the cookie was horrible- it was so overly salted, as if someone had used the amount of sugar they needed with salt, and the amount of salt with sugar. The thought of this gave him the fear of the massive sodium levels in the cookie, causing him to retract his hand from his mouth. He spat the cookie back onto the plate, groaning in pain as his tongue began to sting.

Mabel's eyes widened. "Grunkle Ford, what's wrong?" She asked in concern.

_"G-gah! _The sodium levels!" Ford choked out, his tongue stinging violently from the amount of salt.

Bill's eyes widened at the sight of the sudden suffering. He knew that this act would be blamed on him. With quick thinking, he reached a hand towards the glass of milk.

"Here, take this!" Bill tried, holding it up towards the man. Ford was quick to take the drink from Bill, taking a large swig of the drink. This proved to be a mistake when Ford tasted the horrid taste of milk and water mixed together. He gagged once more and spat the drink out, Bill having been standing at the unfortunate angle to where the liquid was unintentionally spat on him. Bill groaned at the liquid dripping down his face, soaking his shirt.

Mabel gave an instant look of guilt. "Oh no, I'm so sorry Grunkle Ford!" She said as her uncle reached for the water. Ford was relieved that the water had not been tainted, and downed the entirety of the glass. The room was silent for a moment after the unexpected event, save Ford placing the water glass on the tabel. Mabel kept her guilty facial expression. Bill would have done the same, had he not been disgusted by the water and milk on his shirt.

"Seriously?" Bill muttered to himself as he looked down at his yellow T-shirt. Without warning, he grabbed the bottom of his shirt, pulling the soaked garment up and off his torso, revealing his bare chest. Mabel gasped at the sight of the thin, shirtless blonde and looked away to give him privacy. Ford's eyes widened in shock at the sudden move. Bill didn't seem to realize the flushed facial expression on the other man's face. Instead, when Bill looked, he had assumed the reddening effect on his cheeks was from mere anger. The glare on Ford's face only assisted in proving Bill's assumption.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" Ford asked in both annoyance and anger. Doing this made it easy for Ford to hide the small gleam of admiration in his eyes. He put his hands on his hips as he awaited a response from the demon. He became increasingly upset when he got no answer. "Well?" He asked, getting impatient now.

Mabel looked back at the two once more. She looked at her uncle with a frown. "Grunkle Ford, Bill didn't mean to do anything wrong!" She tried. "What... happened?" She asked.

"What happened is that he tried to give a sodium overdose of some sort through the cookies!" Ford began, clenching his fists. "This much salt could easily stop a persons heartbeat, especially someone my age!" he growled.

Ford looked at Bill with a sneer. He placed his hands on the man's bare shoulders. "Are you trying to _kill me?" _Ford roared, his glare hardening.

Bill was quick to shake his head. "N-no!" He claimed with wide eyes. "Stanford, I-" He tried to no avail.

"I don't believe that for _one_ second." Ford bellowed with a shake of his head. "Do you have any idea how dangerous this stunt was?" He asked.

"I don't know what happened!" Bill argued. '"We were just mixing the ingredients together, when Shooting Star told me to measure the sugar, and... and..." Bill continued until he had made a sudden realization. _"Oh." _He muttered, looking away and feeling like an idiot for making such a foolish mistake.

Ford narrowed his eyes. "Which container did you use?" He asked.

"The one with the star." Bill answered, pointing over across the room towards the two containers that held said salt and said sugar. Ford walked over towards the containers and raised an eyebrow when the star was no where to be seen.

"I see no star." Ford said, looking back at the demon with an unamused look.

Mabel looked down at the floor by Ford's feet and saw the star. She pointed at the shape. "It's right there!" She said, about to retrieve it.

"I'll get it!" Bill exclaimed in hopes of seeming helpful. He dove over towards the floor, getting down on his knees in front of Ford as he did so. Bill grabbed the star and looked straight up, extending his arm in the same direction towards the scientist.

Mabel gasped at the sight of Bill's choice of position, and covered her eyes with her hands. Ford's mouth hung open once more. He face palmed with an annoyed look, though he could tell that his cheeks were reddening to his distaste. He mentally scolded himself for reacting in such a way. Nevertheless he took the star from Bill and placed it on the counter. Bill raised an eyebrow in confusion when Ford took a step back from him. He wondered what the reason was for, and why the others seemed so awkward and silent.

Ford moving back seemed pointless in Stan's eyes as he stood by the doorframe in both shock and anger.

_"Hot Belgian waffles,_ Ford!" Stan cried with wide eyes. The three in the kitchen all turned to look at the man. Bill tilted his head in clear confusion when Mabel took her hands away from her eyes, and when Ford drew in a sharp gasp.

_"S-Stanley!" _Ford sputtered in fear, his eyes just as large as his brother's. "I-It's not what it looks like!" He claimed.

Stan scoffed in disgust. "Holy crow, Stanford, Mabel's in the room!" He scolded. "If you're gonna give in to _that, _at _least _wait for her to leave!" He chided with a glare, folding his arms. "You'd better have a good explanation for the giver being _that guy, _of all people!" He added with a huff. Bill was offended after being given a label under 'people'. Regardless, he stood up and looked over at Stan, still remaining confused with the situation.

Ford adjusted his glasses as he waited for the ability to calmly form words. When they came, he said, "I can assure you, that's not what's going on here." Ford stated, mirroring Stan's folded arms. "And besides, something remotely similar to an act like that would never occur." He added, shaking his head at the mere thought. It didn't help that Bill remained shirtless.

Mabel groaned in disgust at the topic, and felt as if she should leave the room. One look at Bill's confusion with the situation proved to her that he was completely unaware of what he had done. Because of this, she figured the conversation would soon pass.

Mabel was relieved by Stan's response. "Good." He had grumbled, before walking away into the living room.

Ford sighed in relief. Bill folded his arms in confusion. "What was that all about?" Bill asked.

Ford just shook his head. "Don't ask." He answered. Bill rolled his eyes at the response, and looked at the other man as he sighed deeply.

"Bill Cipher, if you do much as _attempt _to kill me again, there will be a variety of consequences." Ford stated. Bill frowned at this.

Mabel clenched her fists in anger. "Grunkle Ford, you're being unfair!" She claimed. "Bill didn't mean to put salt instead of sugar!" She stated.

Ford looked down at Mabel in a firm manner. "Mabel Pines, stay out of this." He commanded.

"But-!" Mabel tried, only for the firm look her uncle gave to cut her off.

Ford looked at Bill once more. "Consider yourself lucky I'm letting this attempt at my life go for the time being." He stated in a bitter manner before turning around to leave the kitchen.

Mabel watched Ford leave. "You are what you eat!" She exclaimed with a glare, huffing in annoyance at her uncle's behavior towards Bill.

"A cookie?" Bill questioned once Ford had left, looking at the girl in confusion.

Mabel shook her head. "Salt," She answered. "Because he's being salty!" She said, folding her arms with a saddened sigh.

Bill heard Mabel's response to his question. He gave a small snicker, causing Mabel to crack a smile at knowing that the demon found her humorous. After a moment of snickering, Bill began laughing at the joke. Mabel giggled along, proud to have at least made Bill happy for a bit. They both knew that the moment wouldn't be happy for long. Mabel was glad that she would be going too bed soon. Bill was annoyed at knowing that there would be another restless night for him to get over with.

**Well, there's that. I'm sorry for this being three days late. School had just been wrapping up, so there were some assignments that had been thrown at us super last-minute that I had to finish. I also apologize for the rather sexual reference towards the end of the chapter. I honestly don't know what had given me the strange idea to write that drama, being that I hadn't planned that to be included. But... There it is, I suppose... ;-;**

**Speaking of drama, there will be lots of it in the next chapter. I feel as if I haven't been including Dipper much in this story, so if there's something you would like to see him do within the next three chapters, feel free to give a suggestion. I have the main ideas of the chapters planned out, however there is certainly room for a bit of time including Dipper.**

**The chapter name "Cookies and Steam" Is not meant to represent steam from the oven when the cookies were baking. Instead, it is meant to represent metaphorical steam. For example, the metaphorical steam from Ford when he was upset in the kitchen. Or Stan, when he was upset or angry on both occasions that he had appeared in the chapter. **

**I'm still not sure whether to say "Doorframe" or "Door frame". I used to always make it one word, though at one point I began making it two. Now I use both, which probably doesn't help whatsoever. **

**The next chapter will be up soon. **


	42. Ford's Negation

**There are light mentions of blood in this chapter. ****I will also be posting new cover art for the next chapter. ****At first the cover design was going to be based off one of the events of the next chapter, though I'm considering doing something else entirely and making it based off the chapter after the next one. (Which would be chapter 44, I believe.)**

**Also, I have recently realized something that I don't believe I've actually mentioned before. I have a headcannon that I go along with for this story where the characters don't notice who Bill is until they both make eye contact with each other. For example in a previous chapter when Wendy had looked at Bill whilst he was looking away, she didn't notice anything abnormal. However when they both looked at each other in unison, _that's _when she recognized Bill and freaked out. However if it is someone who doesn't know Bill all that much, they see nothing wrong. Only those who have been deeply affected by him from the past can tell the difference. Which would be the main characters/cast. I apologize if I didn't clear all of this up earlier...**

**With that out of the way, h****ere is chapter 42 of Welcome Home!**

The next morning was a quiet one. It was the weekend, meaning Stan had an excuse to lazily keep the gift shop closed. That and the fact that the twins only had three days left until they were to return to California. Stan was regularly lazy throughout the week, however Saturdays always served as the laziest. Ford would typically have a complaint about Stan's laziness, comments Stanley often chose to ignore. So as he sat in the living room, mindlessly watching a television program, he was taken aback when a hand reached for the remote on the arm rest.

"Wh- _hey!" _Stan exclaimed in annoyance, looking up at the blonde who stood beside him. "I was watchin' that!" He stated.

"You were?" Bill asked, his voice in a tone that appeared to be a clueless manner. "I had no idea." Bill lied with a smirk.

"Oh, right." Stan grumbled, folding his arms and rolling his eyes. "Well if you're so clueless, why dontcha' give the remote back and go annoy my brother for a while?"

Bill just laughed. "As grumpy as Fordsy can be on Saturdays, there's no _way _I'm gonna mess with him." He said with a shake of his head.

"Why not?" Stan asked. "You do it all the time."

"Not anymore." Bill muttered. "Hate to break it to ya', Stano, but Sixer can't stand me." He said.

"He never has," Stan replied. "What difference does it make?" He questioned.

Bill frowned in a pestered manner. "You know, fez, you can be really stubborn sometimes!" He said, placing his hands on his hips.

"Speak for yourself." Stan grumbled, motioning towards the remote control in Bill's hand that he was yet to give back. Bill sighed and gave the remote back to the conman with a huff. He heard a group of voices from over in the kitchen and poked his head out of the living room out of curiosity.

Inside the kitchen, Dipper seemed to be beaming at his uncle. Bill could tell that the boy had a large smile on his face as he spoke.

"This is gonna be great!" Dipper said, overjoyed. "Mabel is going to _love this." _He added with a nod of his head.

"Yes, I do hope she's not too upset about the events of yesterday." Ford said in a muttered tone.

Dipper tilted his head. "What happened yesterday?" He asked. He looked on and noticed that his uncle's glasses were a bit more cracked than they usually were. "And what happened to your glasses?" He questioned .

Ford adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. "Oh, the lenses just cracked after an experiment attempt. Nothing to worry about." Ford assured. "And as for your other question, well... Mabel had some misunderstandings of events yesterday." He answered carefully.

Dipper hummed. He was quick to nod, as the answers were easily believable.

Bill rolled his eyes from the living room. "Misunderstandings, _right." _He grumbled.

The demons annoyance with Ford's second answer was silenced momentarily as he felt the presence of someone behind him. He considered turning around, however he felt a tiny finger poking at his back before he could move. Bill sighed at the giggles coming from the person behind him and knew that it could only be one person.

"Hello!" Mabel greeted with a wide smile. Bill turned around to look at the girl and gave a faint smile in return.

"Hey there, Shooting Star." Bill responded. "What's the word?"

"Well," Mabel began. "Grunkle Ford said that it's gonna be a while until we leave for the adventure, so that should give us some time to work on the sweater." She responded.

Bill hummed. "You sure that sweater will be done in time?" He asked. "I mean, you've only got three days left, kid."

Mabel nodded with an even larger smile than the last. "As long as you believe, anything is possible!" She said.

"I beg to differ." Bill retorted in a mumble.

Mabel decided to ignore the demons statement. "Old man McGucket offered to help us!" She beamed with a smile.

"What?" Bill blurted out, a small tone of complaint in his voice. "But I thought that was our thing! For Sixer!" He said.

Mabel hummed at this. "Yeah... You do have a point." She agreed, looking away.

As if on cue, McGucket rushed down the stairs and headed into the living room. "Heya fellers!" He greeted. "I jus' found some ol' travel supplies in the floorboards!" He announced with a wide grin.

From in the kitchen, the group could hear a muffled shout from Dipper, saying, _"Those are mine!" _

Bill just smirked. "Well,_ finders keepers,_ right?" He shouted back.

Dipper groaned in annoyance from the other room, causing those in the living room to chuckle in unison.

* * *

Within the hour, Mabel, Dipper, McGucket and Ford had left to go on their adventure. Stan was still on the couch, and Bill had decided to go down to the laboratory. If he couldn't work on the sweater, he had another idea to help Ford. If he could just find the dagger, and if Bill had enough memory of the sharpening spell, he could potentially enchant it for him.

Sixer's _been trying to figure out that sharpening spell all week,_ Bill thought to himself. _Maybe he just needs a little help!_ _Help that he's too stupid to ask for._

Bill looked around the laboratory. To his surprise, the dagger was fairly easy to spot. Ford had left it on his desk over by the large window by the portal room. Bill grinned at this and rushed over to the desk. He grabbed hold of the pointy dagger, running a finger along the side of the blade. He hissed in delight as the blade drew a bit of blood from his finger.

_The blade is pretty sharp already, _Bill observed. _I can only imagine how powerful it'll be once I get this sharpening spell cast upon it!_

Bill took the dagger and placed it flat down on the desk. There were some notes beside the dagger on the desk, as well as a glass vase. Bill looked through the notes, reading off both the notes that Ford had taken in the past, and his recent ones.

There was one section of the recent notes that caught Bill's eyes. _'I am very close to cracking this spell. I have continuously broken glass vases throughout the project, and I am afraid that if I move the vase before experimenting, the spell may shatter the large window in front of me.'_

Bill hummed at the notes. "A smart hypothesis," He muttered aloud. "But you forgot one thing, Sixer. It's that you can't perform the spell around _any _glass objects."

Bill read on. _'I had attempted to perform the spell in another room, away from all glass objects. Even then, I found, the sharpening spell wouldn't perform. I had broken my glasses that I had forgotten I was wearing. Luckily I have another pair around somewhere, however I cannot continue this project without my glasses. It would be too risky of a situation.'_

"So that's why his glasses were cracked more than usual!" Bill said. He snickered and shook his head. "Fordsy, you idiot."

Bill looked down at the dagger and hummed once more. _I guess there's no point in waiting. Just standing here won't do anything. _Bill thought. He looked around the laboratory once more whilst standing in place. His best bet would be to go into the bedroom if he were to perform the spell. With that, Bill took the dagger into the laboratory bedroom, placing it on the dresser.

He checked around the room for glass. There was a snow globe, which he was quick to discard. He looked inside Ford's other dresser in which he kept his clothes and saw a strange glass shard wrapped in a velvet cloth.

_Why would he have a random shard of glass? _Bill asked himself. When he picked up the object, bits of sand were apparent on the object. There was very little sand, which served as a good thing as to not make a mess. Bill took the shard of glass and put it outside the room along with the snowglobe. He looked back into the bedroom.

_Light bulbs are glass, right? _Bill wondered. He figured that it would be best to take out the light bulb from the lamp beside the bed, in case it was in fact glass. Bill huffed at the fact that he could remember a bit of magic spells and capabilities, yet he couldn't crack 'simple knowledge' as Ford had called things such as this.

Bill walked over to the lamp and wondered how to take the bulb out. He looked down at the bulb and couldn't seem to find a way to take it out. He wondered if turning it on would be a good idea. He shouted in surprise and pain when the light shined straight up into his eyes.

_"Gah!" _Bill exclaimed, jumping back and rubbing his eyes. "I guess I should have expected that." He groaned. This pain certainly was _not _delightful.

Bill followed the cord of the lamp down towards the outlet and yanked the cord out. He grabbed the lamp, took a few quick steps towards the door, and tossed the entire lamp out of the room. After making sure that all glass objects were out of the room, Bill shut the door.

"Alright..." Bill muttered to himself. He grabbed the dagger off the dresser beside the door and placed the sharp object onto the floor. He needed not to look back at the notes, as reading over them the first time had been all he needed to remember them.

Bill knelt down beside the dagger, hovering his hand above it before saying the phrase aloud; "Vkcus cv c qhhgoh, vkcus cv c qhhgoh..."

Bill's eyes shined a bright, vivid yellow as his slit pupils disappeared. The light from his eyes began to shine against the dagger's blade. The light reflected nearby, though it didn't have any glass to break, which was a good sign. He could feel the heat from his eyes growing stronger nd hotter. Bill shifted slightly as the power began to make him lose his balance. Cautiously, Bill got down on one knee, kneeling as he continued the process.

After a moment, the light from his eyes ceased its glow. Bills slot pupils returned back to him as his eyes became their regular state.

Bill looked down at the dagger. _Did it work? _He asked himself. Hesitantly, he grabbed hold of the dagger, holding it up slightly. He took his spare index finger and ran it along the side of the blade, groaning in pleasure at the deep stinging sensation. He knew that this simple cut had been much more effective than the last, which meant that his attempt at the spell had been a success.

_Holy crow, it worked! _Bill thought to himself with a wide grin. _Sixer is gonna love this! _He added. Bill looked down at the dagger, noticing a small shimmer on the dagger courtesy of the spell.

* * *

Moments later, after Bill had put all of the glass objects back in the laboratory bedroom, (Including the lamp, though he forgot to plug it in) And stashed away the now enchanted dagger, he went upstairs to see if the others had returned from their adventure. The house was quiet, save Stan laughing in the kitchen.

_Is someone else in the kitchen?_ Bill wondered as he stood in the living room, pondering the thought. _Or is Fez just laughing to himself like a loner again? _

Bill's curiosity got the best of him, and he decided to check what was going on in the kitchen. He walked out of the living room, peering into the doorframe and looking as Stan sat comfortable in a kitchen chair, laughing as he counted the money in his hands. Bill walked into the kitchen and folded his arms.

"Dontcha' have enough of that stuff?" Bill questioned.

Stan looked at the other and shook his head with a smirk. "You kiddin'? You can never have too much money." He stated.

Bill just shrugged. "Fair enough." He said. Stan set the money down after counting it. "Did you happen to hear when the kids and Ford would get back?" Bill asked.

"Nope," Stan admitted. "My brother don't tell me nothin'." He said.

"Yeah, me neither." Bill muttered.

Stan looked at Bill and noticed that the demon looked even more tired than the day before. "You alright?" He asked.

"Hm?" Bill hummed, raising an eyebrow.

"Ya' look like you could crash at any second." Stan pointed out.

Bill ran a hand through his hair and leaned on the doorframe with his arms folded. "I'll be fine." He murmured.

Stan narrowed his eyes at this. "When was the last time ya' slept?" He asked.

Bill shot a glare at the conman. "Why do you _care?"_ He hissed.

"Because I've seen this before," Stan muttered. "Look, I normally _don't_ care, so why don't ya' just answer the question?" He said, folding his arms.

Bill sighed and looked over at the clock. He looked down at his hand and began counting. Stan looked at the demon in confusion as he looked back and fourth from his hand to the clock.

"I'd say..," Bill began, "Almost three days ago."

Stan's eyes widened. "You kiddin'?" He asked, a shocked look on his face. Bill nodded slowly, though he seemed a bit unsure of his calculations. Stan ignored Bill's questioning look and stood up. "Well go get some sleep, you don't wanna be a zombie, do ya'?" He asked in a sarcastic manner.

"Is that an option?" Bill asked, suddenly curious.

Stan rolled his eyes. He too knew the pain of being awake for a long period of time with little to no rest. He was aware that such situations could never lead to anything good.

"Why can't ya' sleep?" Stan asked, folding his arms and tilting his head.

Bill just groaned. "What are you, Fez? My therapist?" He asked. Stan gave the man a deadpan look, which seemed to have persuaded Bill to speak; a technique in which Bill couldn't seem to understand. "I don't know why I can't sleep," He admitted. "I've just had a lot on my mind..."

"Eh, that makes two of us," Stan said with a nod of his head. "I mean, I'm not havin' sleeping troubles, but I've been thinkin' a lot." He said, muttering the last bit.

"What does that mean?" Bill asked.

Stan sighed. "Look, you're not a horrible...person," He began. Bill huffed at the label given, however Stan continued to speak. "And I know Ford's been upset at ya' about what you did to Soos' kid. But I'm startin' to think my brother's bein' so harsh for other reasons, too." He stated.

Bill put his hands on his hips. "You don't say?" He asked with a slight eye roll.

Stan chose to ignore the statement. "What I'm tryin' to say is, what you did was_ sick."_ He began. "And Ford has every reason ta' keep a grudge about it for a while. Hell,_ I'm_ still upset about it." He said, cracking his knuckles and glaring at the thought. Bill looked at the motion Stan did with his hands, a gleam of fear in his eyes. With no one at the house but himself and Stan, no one would be there to help him if he were to get hurt. And he knew well that Ford wouldn't bother to help him even if he _were_ at the shack.

Stan saw the look of fear Bill was trying yet failing to hide, and folded his arms. "But," He continued, "He's been overreactin' about a lot of other stuff you've been doin' recently. I can tell." He said.

Bill didn't know how to respond to this. What was he supposed to say? Hesitantly, he opened his mouth to speak. "How did you know that?" He asked.

"It's obvious," Stan responded. "Also because Mabel told me about it." He added. "She said somethin' about you trying to get my brothers attention?"

Bill shifted. "Uh...yeah," He muttered, "I've been trying to do good things, but every time I try, I mess everything up." He admitted.

"Did ya' miss the part about me sayin' my brothers been overreacting?" Stan asked, putting his hands atop his hips.

"No," Bill began in a bitter tone. "Just because he might be overreacting, that doesn't mean he isn't right. I mean, how can you expect that someone like myself will try something without screwing it up?" He asked. "I may be awesome, but I'm still terrible. Horrible. Unpredictable." He said with a sigh. "Ford's made it clear that that'll never change."

Stan frowned . "Maybe in his mind all you're doing is makin' mistakes, but you ain't all bad." He said.

Bill just scoffed. _"Right." _He doubted, folding his arms and looking away.

"You've done horrible things, but you've done a fair amount of good, too." Stan said. "You brought Melody back to life... Somehow." He said as an example.

"I took her child." Bill shot back.

"You drove Mabel to the hospital when no one else coulda'." Stan continued.

"It was a false alarm." Bill grumbled.

"But could ya' tell the difference?" Stan asked.

Bill was taken aback by the question. He scratched the back of his neck. "No..." He admitted. A part of him wondered why Stan was acting so understanding. "If I'm being honest here, Fez, a part of me wishes Sixer would-"

"Have your attention?" Stan finished, raising an eyebrow. Bill gave a look of unease at how Stan was able to sense how he felt in this situation. Regardless, the demon nodded his head slowly.

Stan shrugged. "Wear red." He suggested.

"Red?" Bill repeated, tilting his head.

"Yeah," Stan confirmed. "Ford likes red. He's outta pay some attention to ya' then." He stated.

Bill hummed. He recalled a time when he had wore one of Ford's maroon sweaters. He was reminded of the manner Ford had reacted to the action. Bill wondered if he could get a similar reaction from the man if he were to do it again. He left the kitchen without another word. Stan watched the other leave, not bothering to ask where he was going. He had a good idea of what the demon had in mind.

Bill rushed into the gift shop, entering the code on the vending machine and heading dowstairs, forgetting to shut the secret door behind him as he descended down the stairs. Bill was quick to enter the elevator, as he had no clue when the others would return from their adventure.

When he entered the laboratory, he wasted no time walking over towards the bedroom. He opened the door and walked inside. In the corner of the room, Bill saw the dresser. He headed toward it and opened the sweater drawer. There was a maroon sweater on top, which was relieving, as that meant Bill wouldn't have to dig through said drawer.

Bill was quick to grab hold of his top garment that he currently wore on his torso. He discarded of his yellow T-shirt, letting it fall to the floor. Bill took the maroon sweater and placed it above his head, putting it on. The sweater brought warmth to him. It was a comforting feeling, really. He wasn't bothered by the warm temperature outside, as it was regularly rather chilled in the laboratory.

The sweater had a bit of a relaxed fit on Bill's slim torso. He didn't mind this feature however; if anything, he had seemed to have a sudden liking for the fit of the garment.

* * *

The group on their adventure were currently walking back to the Mystery Shack. Mabel looked in awe at the glass jar in her hands as she held it close to her face. There was a unique butterfly inside the jar with beautiful wings with yellow and purple coloring.

McGucket looked at the jar, and the butterfly inside. "Thas' a rare wing color ye' found on that there butterfly." He said with a smile.

Mabel nodded with a grin. "Isn't he perfect? I named him Jimmy." She said with a giggle.

Dipper raised an eyebrow. "Mabel, you're gonna free the butterfly, right?" He asked.

"Of course!" Mabel said with a nod of her head. "But first I want him to meet Waddles!" She said with a wider smile.

Dipper groaned and face palmed. Ford gave a faint chuckle at the girl's eagerness to potentially give the insect a friend.

Their adventure hadn't been too long, however the time didn't seem to make a difference for the twins, as they had enjoyed every second. Dipper and Mabel both knew that they would miss Gravity Falls, and they hoped that they would be able to visit sometime again. Perhaps in the fall their parents would allow them to visit once more to see all of their friends again.

This summer had surely been a strange one. Wendy had been off with her family at a logging camp for a part of the summer, from what Dipper had been told, and with Soos becoming a father, he hadn't been around all that much either. The twins could understand this- as they knew that it must be difficult for their friend, as well as Melody.

The Mystery Shack wasn't much further. It had only taken a walking length of three minutes to return. When they had returned, Stan greeted them from the kitchen.

"Hey there, nerds," Stan said with a snicker, walking out of the kitchen to greet the others.

Dipper accepted the remark in which he took as a compliment and gave a smile. It faded slightly when he noticed his uncle holding a large pile of money in his arms. "Uh.. Grunkle Stan?" He addressed, tilting his head as he questioned.

"What?" Stan asked. He saw that Dipper's eyes were focused on the money in his arms, and laughed. "Oh, right." He began, "Ya' think you could lend your pair of hands and help me carry this cash down to my safe in Ford's basement?" He asked.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Your safe?" He repeated. "Since when do you have a safe in my _laboratory?"_ He asked.

"Since 1982!" Stan exclaimed with a wide grin.

Ford's mouth hung open. "H-_How?"_ He sputtered. "I've never-"

"It's under the bed." Stan said with a simple shrug. "Keeps it in good hiding."

Ford pinched the bridge of his nose. _"Stanley,_ the laboratory is hidden to begin with." He pointed out. "I don't see a safe being considered necessary to ensure safety upon the money." He added.

"Well, I might as well move it now that you know where it is." Stan grumbled as he dumped half the money in his arms into Dipper's. Being that the young teenager's arms were smaller, Dipper didn't succeed in catching all of the money.

Mabel offered to help Stan take the money down to the lab, which the conman was completely unopposed to. While the others headed towards the lab, Ford and McGucket were left alone. They both opted to head into the kitchen, each grabbing a glass of water.

"So," Fiddleford began. Ford looked at his friend and raised an eyebrow. "Are ye' doing anything special for the twins' birthday?" He asked. "If I ain't mistaken, their birthday should be right 'round that there corner, if'n they're due back in California in a few days." He said.

"Well, yes." Ford began. " Dipper and Mabel's birthday will be soon, however they will celebrate in California rather than Gravity Falls." he informed.

"Did their parents want 'em back home for it?" McGucket asked.

"Yes and no," Ford said. Fiddleford tilted his head in confusion, and Ford continued. "You see, the twins came for summer near the same time they had last year, except this year their summer has been shortened."

"Las' time I checked, days didn't shrink er' have growth spurts, Stanford." Fiddleford joked with a grin.

Ford chuckled. "Well, the twins parents took a trip to Vegas for the summer. And while their father wished to stay for the entirety of the summer gambling and meeting new people at the casino, their mother didn't wish to let their father bankrupt them." He said.

Fiddleford hummed. "So they're takin' half the summer here, and the other half in California?" He asked.

Ford nodded in confirmation. "Yes." He responded.

"So does that mean I should move out, too?" McGucket asked.

"Only if you're comfortable with doing so," Ford began. "You're welcome to stay as long as you need. I know that feeling of being paranoid, and you have every right to be." He said.

"I-I don't know yet," Fiddleford admitted. "It's hard ta' brush off the feelin' that he's still out there to get me." He said, shivering at the thought.

"We haven't heard anything from Mr. Powers since the stunt Bill pulled in Crestfallen Cavern." Ford reminded. "And while that doesn't guarantee your safety entirely, it is certainly a good sign that he won't be there to bother you any longer." He reassured, resting a hand atop the others mans shoulder in a reassuring manner. Fiddleford gave a small smile at the gesture.

"Speakin' of Bill..," Fiddleford began hesitantly. "Where's he been all day?" He wondered.

Ford thought about this question for a moment, however he couldn't seem to find an answer. "I'm... Not sure." He muttered.

"Aren't ye' worried?" McGucket proceeded, raising an eyebrow.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "I'm not too worried," He began with a shrug. "Bill is fully capable of performing actions himself. He doesn't need help." He said.

"You've been distant with im' lately." Fiddleford pressed. "M-Maybe the two of ye' should talk. Have a good conversation and try ta' understand each other a bit more about recent actions." He advised.

Ford took a long pause before scoffing at the advice given to him by his friend. "Are you _kidding?" _He shot back, "Why on Earth would I speak to someone such as Bill when he tried to _kill me _just yesterday?" He asked, placing his hands atop his hips.

"I reckon it was an accident," Fiddleford muttered, looking away. His tone of voice was loud enough for Ford to overhear what he had said.

"I beg to differ," Ford protested.

Fiddleford looked back at his friend, a his facial features becoming slightly firm. "An' how would ye' know the difference?" He asked.

Ford was taken aback by the sudden remark. He wondered why Fiddleford was so insistent for him to speak with Bill. Even more, he wondered why Fiddleford had been so protective of Bill in the _first place _as of recently.

"Fiddleford," Ford began. "I can't help but notice that you've been rather _protective _of Bill recently." He said. "Mind explaining why?" He asked.

McGucket was hesitant. He looked at Ford, who looked back at him with an expression that wanted an answer. "Well..." McGucket began. "Stanford, you know I'm not the biggest Bill Cipher fan out there," He continued. "But don't ye' think yer' treatin' him a bit unfairly?"

"Absolutely not," Ford answered with a shake of his head. "He has done nothing but prove over and over again how terrible he can be." He said.

Fiddleford hummed. "If I recall correctly, _you _were the one tryin' ta' prove that Bill wasn't such a bad person" He reminded.

"I-I was foolish," Ford stammered suddenly. "In the last week, he's wrecked the car, put Mabel in danger with his driving, broken hospital rules, gotten chased down by the police, and tried to _kill me _with overly-salted cookies!" Ford exclaimed with a huff.

Fiddleford sighed. He knew that Bill didn't mean to do those things. He was sure that Bill didn't know how to drive, and he was convinced that he had mistaken the salt for sugar in the cookie recipe. Regardless, he didn't wish to argue with Ford about it much longer.

"Well," McGucket began, taking in a breath before speaking. "Ye' might want ta' talk to 'im, anyway. We both know how Bill can be. What would ye' do if he did somethin' crazy er' irrational?" He questioned.

"Bill wouldn't," Ford said with a shake of his head. "I hate to tell you this, Fiddleford, but the only thing irrational here is your absurd statements." He said before walking away. Fiddleford watched the man leave with a suspicious look on his face.

* * *

Meanwhile down in the laboratory, Stan and the twins had finished storing the money down in the safe. Bill had hidden from the others, as he didn't wish for them to see him in Ford's sweater. He hid underneath Ford's desk by the portal window and watched as Stan and Dipper walked towards the elevator. He became suspicious when he didn't see Mabel. He assumed that the girl was still in the bedroom.

Little did Bill know, Mabel sat right beside Bill in a silent manner. She looked at the demon and grinned, yelling, _"Hello!" _

_"G-Ahhh!" _Bill exclaimed, eyes widening as he nearly hit his head on the bottom of the desk in surprise. He met Mabel's grin with a small glare. "Kid, what are you doing?" He asked.

"You look so_ adorable_ in Grunkle Ford's sweater!" Mabel beamed with a wide smile that showed off her braces. "Also, you forgot to close the vending machine on your way down here." she added with a giggle.

Bill shrunk slightly and hid his face in the sweater to where his eyes could still be seen. Mabel gasped at this and only beamed harder. "Oh my gosh! Grunkle Ford _has_ to see this!" She said. "Scrapbooker-tunity!" She said.

_"N-No!"_ Bill exclaimed, extending an arm out as Mabel came out from under the desk in an attempt to run towards the elevator. Mabel turned around and looked back at Bill with an eyebrow raised. Bill shook his head. "Don't get a camera." He mumbled.

"Fine," Mabel said, walking back over. Bill sighed in relief, only to be surprised with a bright light that flashed before his eyes so suddenly. Mabel giggled as she held a camera in her hand.

"Shooting_ Star!"_ Bill groaned. "You said you wouldn't go to get a camera!"

"I didn't!" Mabel said. "I keep one under my sweater!"

Bill gave the girl a dumbfounded look. "Why?" He asked.

"It's useful!" She said with a smile. She walked over to Bill and handed him the photograph. Bill looked at it and sighed. He held the top of the photograph as if he were about to rip it in half. Mabel's eyes widened and she shook her head frantically. _"No!"_ She exclaimed.

"What?" Bill asked, looking at the girl who snatched the photo from his hands.

"Please can I keep it?" Mabel asked, giving the demon puppy eyes. "For memories!" She reasoned.

Bill huffed. He made the mistake of looking at the girl for more than two seconds, which persuaded him to agree. "Fine." He muttered.

Mabel squealed in glee and gave the blonde a hug. Bill sighed and looked at the photograph once more. _At least I look good._ He thought to himself. Mabel let go of the demon and waved a goodbye as she rushed towards the elevator. Bill copied the girl's gesture and came out from hiding under the desk. With Mabel running to put the photograph in her scrapbook, he felt that it would be best to stay downstairs for a while. There was nothing interesting upstairs, anyway.

Bill was taken by surprise not five minutes later when he heard the sound of the elevator coming down. He gasped and ran back over to the desk, hiding underneath it once more. He pressed his knees up against his chest like he had earlier to keep his feet from poking out from the desk. Under the desk had a bit of a shadow over by the elevator's view, so Bill hoped that he could remain hidden with the help of the shadow.

He looked at the elevator doors as they opened to see the owner of the laboratory walk out. Ford had a pen in his hand, which he was quick to store in his lab coat. Bill drew in a sharp breath and watched as the man approached closer. He was relieved when Ford walked over towards the laboratory's bedroom rather than his desk by the portal window.

Ford walked into the room and set down a unique pebble he had found atop the shelf by the door. He looked over by the dresser and caught sight of Bill's yellow short sleeved shirt lying on the ground. He hummed in suspicion and approached the garment. For a moment, Ford took a quick glance at the bed in case there had been a form of intimacy Bill had performed with another person while he had been gone. It was the only explanation Ford could possibly come up with, as he had no idea what other circumstance it could have been. He was somewhat relieved when he saw no evidence to prove his claim.

Ford picked up Bills shirt from the floor and walked out of the room. He looked around the laboratory in suspicion, the demon no where to be seen. He figured he should return the shirt back to where it belonged.

Bill watched as the scientist headed back towards the elevator, and saw this as his chance. Hesitantly, he crept out from under the desk and headed towards the man. Bill wore a wide grin as he put his arms out, wrapping them around Ford's torso from behind with a tight grip.

Ford gasped at the feeling of a possible attack and lifted an arm up, elbowing the person behind him with force. The authors elbow hit one of Bills eyes, as well as the side of his nose. He shouted in pain that he couldn't seem to find humorous as he lost his grip around the other man, stumbling down to the cold floor.

Bill held his eye with his hand, hissing at the stinging as he supported himself up to a near sitting position with his other arm. He felt a small crimson liquid trickling down his right nostril. Bill groaned at this and used part of the sweaters sleeve to wipe it away.

Ford turned around and looked down at the supposed stranger. He was surprised when he saw Bill atop the floor in a half sitting, half laying position.

Bill noticed the glance and shot a glare at the man standing above him. "What the heck was that for?" He asked.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "One of the many survival instincts that grew on me over the years of travel." He responded.

Bill stood up, holding his eye with his hand as he used his other to look at the man. "Well why'd you use it on me?" He questioned. As he looked at Ford, he began to wonder if he even realized the matching turtleneck he was wearing.

"I can never be too careful." Ford muttered.

Bill smirked. "Are you saying you're afraid of me?" He asked.

"Oh, _please," _Ford scoffed with an eye roll. "I have no reason to be." He stated.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "Hey, be careful what you say there, Fordsy. Remember who you're talking to right now." He said, folding his arms. Ford tossed the yellow T-Shirt in his hand to the other man, the garment landing on Bill's shoulder. Before Ford could leave, Bill called out to the man, grabbing hold of the scientists wrist.

Ford stopped and looked down at the hand gripping into him. He shot a warning glare at Bill and pulled his arm away. "Cut the physical contact, _Cipher." _He warned.

Bill huffed at this. His annoyed facial expression turned into a smile. "Did you see?" Bill asked.

"See _what, _exactly?" Ford questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Bill extended his arms out by his sides and looked at Ford with the same smile. "Look, we're matching, see?" He asked.

Ford bit his lip and looked away. "Yes, I see." He murmured, about to walk away once more. Bill frowned and grabbed the man's wrist once more to prevent him from staying.

Ford growled and put his hands behind his back, turning around and narrowing his eyes at the man once more. "Would you cut that out?" He asked.

"Once you answer something." Bill responded with a cheeky snicker.

Ford sighed. "What?" He asked, _very _unamused now.

Bill smirked and made a pose, putting one hand on his hip. "Do I look cute in this, Sixer?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. "Am I cute?"

Ford's cheeks flushed at the question. He face palmed in hopes of hiding his expression. To his surprise, his acting had worked and he seemed to have fooled the demon.

Bill frowned slightly at this after seeing Ford's apparent distasteful expression and answer. "So... is that a-?" He began, but was cut off by Ford who put a hand up.

"Please get out of that." Ford requested. "You're practically drowning in it."

"So it's a _little _big," Bill began. "What difference does it make?"

"The point here is that it is _my _sweater, and I don't want you toting around in it." Ford said, putting his hands on his hips.

Bill sighed and looked at the other for a moment. He raised a finger and motioned it closer to Ford as he spoke. "But we're matching!" Bill retorted, poking the man's chest as he said so. He regretted doing this small action when Ford glared at him, grasping onto his skinny wrist tightly.

Ford pulled Bill closer to him. Bill would have liked the gesture had Ford not had such a cold glare on his face, and such a rough grip on his wrist.

_"Bill Cipher, _if you touch me _one more time_, you'll be sure to regret it." Stanford vowed with a look that was truly worrying.

Bill looked into the mad, brown eyes for a total of three more seconds before pulling away from the stronger man. Bill folded his arms and sighed, taking a step back before looking Ford in the eyes once more.

"What would you do?" Bill asked. Ford was taken aback by the question. "You gonna hurt me? I can take it." Bill said. "I get your boundaries and all, but ya' don't have to _threaten _me." Bill stated, somewhat offended. He didn't see Ford as the type of man who would physically harm him.

Ford huffed. He knew that Bills sarcasm was correct. Ford wouldn't do anything to hurt Bill unless it was _truly _necessary. He felt like taking his last statement back, though he knew that if he did so, Bill would just see it as yet another opportunity to walk all over him. So, he opted to take a step back.

"I have something else to show you." Bill said.

Ford sighed. "What could that be?" He asked, clearly annoyed.

Bill rushed over to Ford's desk over by the portal window. He grabbed the dagger and hid it behind his back. Once the enchanted dagger was in his hands, Bill ran back towards Ford.

"Look!" Bill exclaimed, presenting the dagger suddenly as he ran dangerously close to Ford. The scientist gasped and dodged the daggers blade. Bill stood in place and held the dagger out straight forward for Ford to take.

Instead of thanking Bill when he grabbed hold of the dagger, and instead of explaining how happy he felt that the dagger had been enchanted, Ford looked at Bill with a small glare still apparent.

"Watch where you swing that blade." Ford instructed.

"Are you happy?" Bill asked. "I got it enchanted for ya'!"

"You're _positive_ that this is the sharpening spell?" Ford questioned Bill in a suspicious manner.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, it is. I checked." He informed with a nod of his head.

Ford hummed and grasped into the dagger he held in his hand with a bit more force. Ford tossed the incredibly sharp blade onto his desk on the side of the lab before looking back at Bill.

"Change." Ford commanded, looking up and down at Bill's torso and the garment he was wearing before turning around to walk away. Bill did nothing to stop the man from leaving. Clearly Bill's efforts meant nothing to him. All of his work meant _nothing _to Ford. Bill sighed when Stanford departed into the elevator to leave the laboratory. He removed the sweater and grabbed his regular yellow shirt that he, at one point, had dropped on the floor. Bill was quick to put his normal shirt back on, picking up Ford's sweater and throwing it across the laboratory with a frustrated growl.

* * *

Ford came out of the vending machine, fists clenched. He was glad to have gotten out of the lab before it was too late. He knew that Bill would have tried to pull something preposterous had he stayed any longer.

He looked down at the gift shop floor to see his great niece with Waddles as she held up the butterfly she had discovered in front of her pet pig.

"Waddles, meet Jimmy!" Mabel introduced with a wide grin. Waddles oinked in response, putting one of his front pig paws atop the jar. Jimmy flew around the jar in response, flapping his unique wings. Mabel squealed in response to the already friendly interactions between the two.

Mabel looked up and saw a small smile on her great uncles face. "Hi, Grunkle Ford!" She greeted with a smile.

"Hello, dear." Ford responded, softening up a bit and taking a step closer to the girl, kneeling across from her.

"Jimmy and Waddles are already getting along so well!" Mabel beamed. She gasped. "Do you think Gompers and Waddles could adopt him?" She asked.

Ford shrugged at the question. "That would be unlikely," He responded. He caught Mabel's small frown and offered the girl a smirk. "But not impossible." He finished.

Mabel grinned at the response and hugged Waddles as he climbed into her lap. "They could be one happy family, just like all of us!" She said. Ford's smile faded slightly at this. The reaction didn't go unnoticed by Mabel. "Well, maybe not Bill..." She muttered.

"Why not?" Ford asked. Though he agreed with his nieces statement, he wondered why someone such as herself could say something such as that.

"Well, Bill doesn't like being called family..." Mabel answered in more of a mutter, looking away. _"I _think he is, but no one else does." She said with a sigh.

"Well, it _is _logical," Ford said with a shrug. "Bill isn't exactly as close with all of us as we are with each other." He said.

Mabel looked at Ford with a small frown. "...Grunkle Ford?" She addressed.

"Yes, Mabel?" Ford responded, raising an eyebrow.

Mabel was hesitant before speaking . "Are you and Bill..._friends?"_ She questioned.

Ford went silent at the question. He thought about it for a moment, and looked at his niece before answering the peculiar question. "Well, sure we are." He said with a slow nod of his head. "Why do you ask, my dear?"

"You don't _act _like friends," Mabel muttered, looking away. "You act like an old _married_ couple." She continued.

Ford's eyes widened at the statement. He felt his face flush in front of his niece to his intense distaste. Once again, this reaction didn't go unnoticed by the girl. She had caught the blush before Ford could look away. Mabel inhaled sharply as her eyes widened.

"Wait-!" Mabel began with a grin. "Oh my _gosh! _Grunkle Ford, do you _love _Bill?" She asked, cupping her hands together as her pupils enlarged.

Ford only felt his facial reactions becoming _worse. _He looked at his niece with a mortified look. "M-Mabel, _no," _He stuttered, putting both his hands on his nieces shoulders. "That is an _absurd _assumption." He stated.

"So you _don't _love Bill?" Mabel asked. Ford paused at the question and looked down at the floor for a moment. His hesitancy lasted long enough for Mabel to believe she had her answer. She smiled. "Ah! I'm gonna have _another_ Grunkle!" She exclaimed.

Ford looked up at the girl once more. "Mabel, I-I _never _confirmed _anything." _He reminded in a firm manner.

"You're not _denying it!" _Mabel sang, giggling.

Ford took his hands off Mabel's shoulders and pinched the bridge of his nose with a sigh. He wished he could form the right words to his niece that he was trying his best to move on from Bill. After all he had done to Ford, and the danger he had put Mabel in as of recently, he couldn't simply let all that go. He just wished Mabel didn't have to find out about there possibly being something more between them like _this. _

"Mabel, listen to me." Ford began, folding his arms as he sat down rather than being on one knee. "Please understand that there is _nothing-" _He tried to explain, until he heard the sound of the 'Employees only' door being opened. Ford and Mabel looked at the door to see Dipper and Stan emerge into the gift shop, Fiddleford following behind them.

Dipper walked over to his sister and sat down beside her, looking at the jar that held Jimmy.

Mabel looked at her brother and smiled. "Dipper, I made Waddles and Jimmy best friends!" She said.

"Best friends?" Dipper repeated. "That was fast." He commented.

Mabel nodded. "Getting people and creatures together is my specialty in life!" She said with a smile. She looked at Ford with a sly smirk and nudged him gently in the arm. Ford just looked away.

Stan ignored the strange exchange between Mabel and his brother. "Hey Pointdexter, did ya' see Bill?" He asked, laughing.

Ford stood up and huffed. _Stanley knew about this? _He asked himself. Regardless, he nodded slowly. "Yes, I did." He muttered in an annoyed manner.

"You've gotta admit- he looks good in red!" Stan said with a shrug. "Unless it's just Mabel's photography talent blurrin' the image." He added. Mabel smiled and thanked her uncle for the compliment. Ford didn't respond to any of this.

Mabel stood up, grabbing Jimmy's jar and looking at Ford. "Grunkle Ford, where _is _Bill?" She asked. "I want him to meet Jimmy, too!"

"I'm not sure now is the right time, sweetie." Ford retorted. He admitted to himself that his main reason for saying this was because he didn't want Mabel sharing any of the information she had recently picked up on. More importantly, he didn't want Bill to get any ideas.

Mabel tilted her head in confusion. "Then when?" She asked. She gave a short chuckle at her rhyme before focusing on Ford once more.

"Well, there are some things I wish to speak to you about before you go speaking to Bill." Ford answered.

Dipper raised an eyebrow, chiming in to the situation. "What happened?" He asked, clearly confused. Ford looked at Dipper as he continued. "Did Bill do something wrong?" He questioned.

Stan snickered. "Doesn't he always do somethin' wrong?" He asked, his laughter only increasing. Ford looked over at his brother and noticed that his laugh didn't sound sincere whatsoever. If anything, it sounded like sarcasm.

McGucket watched as Stan continued his laughing fit before speaking. "What're ye' talkin' about, Stanley?"

Stan slowly ceased his laughing, though he still have faint chuckles between his words. "Why dontcha' ask Pointdexter over there?" He responded. Stan seemed to be unusually outgoing with his laughter, and for a moment Fiddleford began to wonder if Stan was drunk. The others, however, were used to this typical behavior from the conman.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Whatever is that supposed to mean?" He asked, standing up now.

Stan looked at Ford. His laughter stopped, and the room went silent. "Well, if ya' haven't noticed, you've been gettin' at Bill's throat for everything he does." He stated.

"I do _not."_ Ford retorted, offended.

"Yes you _do!"_ Stan, McGucket, Mabel, and even _Dipper_ said in unison.

Stan took a step closer to Ford, putting his hands on his hips. "Look bro, I don't mean to pick sides here," He began once more. He chuckled to himself for a moment. "Ah, who am I kiddin'? Or course I'm pickin' sides." He said.

Ford gave Stan a deadpan look. Stanley looked at his brother again, standing in front of him before speaking. "You think Bill's the _big bad wolf _here, don't ya'?" Stan asked. "But did ya' ever stop to realize the good he's done, too?"

Dipper would have argued with Stan's statement, had he not remembered that Bill had followed an instinct and has risked his life to help save his sister. After remembering this, he quickly shut his mouth.

"C'mon, Stanford. Use your head! He made ya' cookies," Stan reminded.

"I-In an attempt to kill me." Ford retorted.

"He brought Melody back to life so that Soos, Brock and her could be a family again!" Mabel added with a smile.

"He took Melody's ch-" Ford tried, before being cut off.

"Cipher made sure that Brock wasn't a'cursed." Fiddleford stated.

"He wouldn't have had to do so, had he not-" Ford tried again.

"F-False alarm or not, he... he risked his life to save Mabel." Dipper said, stuttering a bit as he talked back to the author.

"He ruined the car." Ford reminded his nephew.

Stan growled in sudden anger, putting his hands on Ford's shoulders. "You serious?" He shouted. "Are you tryin' to tell me that the _car _means more to you than Mabel's _life?" _He asked.

Ford was quick to shake his head. "Stanley, of _course _not-"

"Stop bein' such an idiot, ya' idiot!" Stan chided with a glare.

Everyone in the gift shop turned to look at the vending machine as it opened. Bill stepped out in minor confusion at all the blank looks he was being given, but that didn't stop him from giving a grin.

"I was summoned by the sound of ridicule!" Bill said. "Who's the source?" He asked. Bill looked around at the group of people in minor confusion. The blank, silent stares he was still being given gave Bill a feeling of unease. "Oh." He blurted out, realizing that he was the reason for all the muffled arguing that could be heard down from in the laboratory.

Stan looked at his brother once more, tightening his grip on Ford's shoulders. "I think you've got somethin' to say." Stan said. Ford remained silent. Stan furrowed his brows at this and backed Ford up against the side of the vending machine in a forceful manner. Ford groaned at the pain in his back and glared back at Stan.

Ford took his hands and placed them on Stand shoulders, pushing his brother off of him. Stan nearly stumbled backwards at the sudden move, however was able to keep his balance by putting a hand on the wall.

Ford clenched his fists and looked at the others who had all seemed to turn on him. Bill put a hand on the vending machine door, taking a slow step backwards in hopes of heading back down to the laboratory. When Ford began to speak, Bill stopped and stayed frozen in place to listen in.

"So," Ford began, looking at the others. "Each of you are convinced that I'm the bad guy in this situation?" He asked. Though a couple of the others wouldn't go as far as to call him a bad guy, no one decided to speak nor say otherwise. Ford waited for a moment, only to be greeted by silence. Stan folded his arms and leaned the side of his arm against the wall.

Ford scoffed in disbelief. "You're wrong." He muttered. "You're _all wrong!" _He shouted with a growl. Ford turned around to go down to his laboratory, pushing Bill out of the way before pressing a button on his watch to close the vending machine behind him.

Stan noticed the silence filling the room and finally said, "I told Wendy that Ford's salty on Saturdays." He said with a short laugh. The others in the room gave forced chuckles in hopes of relieving the tension in the room.

Bill awkwardly walked over to Mabel, sitting down beside her. "When did you find that thing?" He asked, pointing at the butterfly in the jar beside her.

Mabel grabbed hold of the jar and held it close, looking down at the floor. "Grunkle Ford said that I'm not supposed to talk to you..." She muttered.

Bill gave a sarcastic smirk, rolling his eyes. "Of _course _he did." He murmured.

"Sweetie," Stan began. Mabel looked up at her uncle. "Ford's bein' an idiot today, I'm sure whatever he told ya' not to do isn't important." He assured.

Mabel gave a slow nod and held up the glass jar for Bill to see. "This is Jimmy." She introduced. She looked down at the jar and gave a small smile. "Jimmy, say hi!" She said. Jimmy flapped his wings, which Mabel assumed to be a greeting. The others in the room gave a small smile at Mabel's ability to stay positive before leaving the gift shop to depart to the other parts of the house.

"What are you going to do to ol' Jim?" Bill asked after noticing that the others had left.

Mabel shrugged. "I'll set him free. He's met everyone already, and he's made a lot of new friends!" She said with a smile.

Bill hummed. "You sure ya' don't want to keep him?" He asked.

"Nuh-uh!" Mabel said with a shake of her head. "He might have friends in the forest that miss him!" She added. She figured that Gompers and Waddles didn't need to be spoken to about potentially adopting animal or insect children yet.

"I didn't know butterflies had friends." Bill muttered.

"Of course they do!" Mabel said with a smile. "Hey, after we set Jimmy free, do you wanna finish the sweater?" She asked.

Bill gave a hesitant shrug. "I don't know, Shooting Star. I'm pretty sure that all Sixer is gonna do is be negative about it." He stated.

"How can he be negative about a sweater?" Mabel asked, raising an eyebrow.

Bill opened his mouth to speak, but shut it after a moment. He figured it wouldn't be wise to bring up the previous situation about Ford's sweater from down in the lab.

"He'll find a way," Bill muttered. "He's smart like that." He reminded, folding his arms.

Mabel sighed. She had mixed feelings about all of this. _They both have chemistry with each other, but their arguments and bickering get in the way of that! __I don't understand why Grunkle Ford is being mean to Bill, didn't it used to be the other way around? _

Mabel looked over beside her at Bill as he tapped the glass of the jar, making the butterfly fly around the jar helplessly. Mabel frowned at the sight of Bills current state. _He's sleep deprived and sad! __How do I fix this? _Can _I fix this? If I'm not a good matchmaker, what am I?_

Mabel sighed once more, burying her face in her hands. _This isn't good..._ She thought to herself.

**Huzzah! I finished the chapter! I apologize that it took nearly two weeks to get this chapter out. I had a bit of trouble getting past a small talk scene towards the beginning, which delayed the process for a few _days. _Thankfully I found a way around that troubling situation and was able to proceed with writing.** **I ended up writing 1/3 of the chapter last night. I was glad to have been able to write to where I could finish. :D**

**So, what's your current opinion on Ford? I would be curious to know if anyone has an opinion. If not, no worries! c: I personally have found it quite hard to write Ford acting so bitter and cruel about nearly _everything _that Bill does. This isn't the way to move on, Ford.**

**If you follow my Tumblr, you'll understand what I mean when I say that the next chapter is the one I had been stressing about. I'm still stressing a bit, honestly, as I'm fearful of the readers potential negative and/or distateful reactions. **

**I also changed my Fanfiction profile picture. The previous art displayed as my profile picture was old, and it didn't look like my art from nowadays at all. I hope you like the updated redraw of it. c:**

**The next chapter will be... Very intense. It will be up soon.**


	43. A Terrible Mistake

**If you follow my Tumblr, you'll know what I mean when I say that this is the chapter I've been afraid to write. But... here it is. **

**The man with the name of John Cole in this chapter isn't based off anyone. He is not based off a celebrity, someone I know, or any actual person. It's just a name I decided on. He doesn't have a major role, other than... well, you'll see. **

**So, before you read any further, let me give a_ big_ warning that... there are a couple self-harm-type situations in this chapter. One isn't too terrible, however the other is pretty severe. ;-; So... if you are sensitive to the subject and/or those types of situations, I certainly won't stop you from hesitating to read or from even skipping this chapter. I completely understand if you don't want to read it. ****It was difficult to write. I absolutely do_ not, _in any way, shape or form, condone _any_ of this behavior. **

**There is also minor language. Very limited, of course. **

**With the warnings out of the way, here is chapter 43 of "Welcome Home". **

Sunday morning was an awkward one. No one has seen Ford leave his laboratory all morning, which fit the others in the household just fine; as no one had any strong wishes to confront him for the time being.

Meanwhile, Mabel and Bill were upstairs in the twins' bedroom, finishing up the sweater they had been making for Ford throughout the past few days. When Mabel had first seen Bill in the morning, she gasped at the sight of a black eye that had formed overnight. When Mabel had asked Bill what had caused it, Bill revealed the fact that when Ford had unintentionally hit him in the eye with his elbow, the impact of the motion had caused the bruise to form. Mabel showed her sympathy to the demon, which he seemed to merely brush off.

"And... Done!" Mabel said with a smile. Bill looked up at the girl as she took hold of the dark blue sweater they had just recently completed. Mabel held it up for Bill to see. "Now the sweater won't unravel!" She said.

Bill grabbed the sweater and held it up in front of him. He gave a small smile at the finished project. "I've gotta hand it to ya', Shooting Star, you really know how to make durable sweaters!" He complimented. Mabel thanked the demon as he looked at the words he had sewn atop the front of the sweater himself. In the colored yarn he had chosen from a few days back, he had sewn in the letters that spelled out "Sixer".

"Do...Do you think we should go give it to Grunkle Ford?" Mabel asked.

Bill hummed for a moment. "I don't know," He began, "Sixer seemed pretty upset yesterday, and I haven't seen him since. If we went now, he's probably just give us some lecture." He pointed out.

"Yeah, you're probably right..." Mabel muttered. Her eyes lit up after a moment of silence. "Hey, we should watch a movie in the meantime!" She suggested.

Bill looked at the young teenager and raised an eyebrow. "You sure, Shooting Star?" He asked. "If you've only got two days left until you head back to California, do ya' really wanna waste it on some movie?"

Mabel shrugged. "It's not a waste, it'll be fun!" She said with a smile. "What's your favorite movie?" She asked, curious.

Bill hummed. "I don't know, I've only ever seen a few human movies, Karen introduced me to em'." He said.

"Karen?" Mabel repeated, tilting her head. "Isn't that the woman who was in Crestfallen Cavern that died?" She asked.

"Yup." Bill nodded.

Mabel frowned. "I'm sorry that you lost a friend." She muttered.

Bill shrugged. "I wouldn't exactly call her a friend." He said. "She was... Clingy." He said. "And she always called me silly." He added with a grumble, folding his arms and looking away.

"What's wrong with being called silly?" Mabel asked.

"Silly is just another word for _stupid, _Shooting Star!" Bill exclaimed with a huff.

"Well I don't know about you, but I like to take it as a compliment!" Mabel said with a smile.

"To each their own." Bill muttered to himself.

The two in the room turned to look at the door as they heard a knock at the door. "Come in!" Mabel beckoned, her smile still apparent. The man at the door twisted the doorknob and opening the door, poking his head out slightly to where the two could reveal him as McGucket.

"Hiya, fellers!" McGucket greeted. He noticed the sweater that Bill held in his hands. "Hey, is that there sweater the one you two were a'workin' on?" He asked.

"Yeah!" Mabel said with a nod of her head. Bill handed it to Fiddleford so that the man could take a look at the garment. "Do you like it?" The girl asked.

"How in the world didje' manage ta' finish this in only a matter'a days?" Fiddleford asked, amazed at how quickly Mabel and Bill had been able to put it together.

"We worked together!" Mabel said, still sporting a smile.

"Shooting Star did most of the work." Bill began, "I'm not very good at knitting." He admitted.

Mabel gasped at this. "That's not true! You're a fast learner, and you did a lot of the work, too!" She stated. Bill doubted the statement, but thanked Mabel for the compliment regardless.

Fiddleford handed the sweater back to Bill, who handed it back to Mabel. The young teenager gave the sweater a tight hug.

"Have you seen Sixer around this morning, Fidds?" Bill asked.

Fiddleford shook his head at the question. "No one has seen 'im, from what I've heard." He answered. Bill just hummed, looking down at the wooden floor below him. Fiddleford looked at the demon for a moment he and noticed his unusual state.

"You doin' okay there?" Fiddleford asked Bill. Said man looked up, raising an eyebrow. "Ye' don't look too good." McGucket observed.

Bill smirked, however you could see the look of sleep deprivation in his eyes. "You kidding? I look fabulous." Bill said with a chuckle.

After a moment of pointless chatter, the three headed down to the living room. Mabel kept the dark blue sweater in her arms, folded up neatly. Waddles came out from the kitchen, greeting the girl with a nuzzle of his nose against her ankle. Mabel smiled at the greeting and gave Waddles a rub behind the ear.

Mabel looked down at where they kept the movies. Bill kneeled beside her, looking at the options. McGucket told the others that he was going to check up on Ford for a bit. Bill gave a nod whilst Mabel waved him a goodbye.

Bill took hold of one movie cases that caught his eyes. "Hey, what's this?" He asked.

Mabel looked over in confusion and gasped at the DVD Bill had picked up. "Wait, put that back!" She said, trying to take the case from the demon.

"Why?" Bill asked, keeping a tight grip on the case as to not lose it. He grunted as Mabel continued to try grabbing it. "Hey, what gives, Shooting Star?" He asked.

Mabel slowly took her hands away from the case, looking down at the carpet with her legs criss-crossed. "Grunkle Stan said we're not allowed to watch that movie." She informed.

Bill hummed at this. He read the description of the movie and shrugged at seeing nothing wrong. "It seems fine to me." He commented. "Have ya' wanted to see it?" He asked.

"Well... Yeah, kinda..." Mabel muttered with a slow nod of her head. "B-But Grunkle Stan said that we can't watch it, so we shouldn't. Otherwise he'll get mad." She said.

"I've seen Stano mad plenty of times," Bill said, laughing now. "I don't think it could get any worse than what I've already seen."

Mabel frowned. "I-I don't know, Bill. Watching it behind Grunkle Stan's back isn't a very good idea." She retorted.

Bill just smirked. "Who's gonna tell?" He asked.

Mabel opened her mouth to say something, but closed it when she couldn't find herself to give an answer. She felt a wave of guilt pass by her at knowing that watching the movie behind her uncle's back was wrong, regardless of her curiosity to watch said film. She knew that Bill didn't mind breaking the occasional rule, but she felt that breaking this specific rule was more severe. More importantly, she hoped that she could talk Bill out of breaking the rule so that he wouldn't get into trouble with Stan. Or even _more _trouble with Ford.

Mabel waved her hand up in the air to get Bill's attention. The demon looked down at the child in confusion, raising an eyebrow.

"Isn't this wrong?" Mabel asked. "You could get in trouble!" She pointed out.

Bill rolled his eyes and groaned. "Look kid, if you're so afraid of me getting you in trouble, then-"

"I'm not afraid of you getting _me _in trouble," Mabel said. "I'm afraid of it getting _you _in trouble!" She corrected with a frown.

Bill was taken aback by the statement. It surprised him that Mabel cared about his staying out of trouble status. Mabel had always been considerate about others feelings, though it was still a surprise that she would care for his this much as well. Not just now- but as of recently. Even months ago she had been so considerate.

Bill looked down at the disc in his hand and frowned. "Alright." He muttered, putting the film back where it belonged. Bill saw another movie with an interesting cover and picked it up. The cover had two humans arguing, while the third person was covering their ears. Bill found this humorous and assumed it to be a comedy.

"What about this?" Bill asked, holding the movie in one and and showing it to Mabel.

Mabel hummed. "I've never seen this before." She said. "What's it called?" She asked.

"I don't know." Bill answered, narrowing his eyes at the case in suspicion.

Mabel too narrowed her eyes. "A movie with no title..." She muttered in what sounded of distaste with another, yet deeper, hum. After a moment of silence she said, "It sounds awesome!" With a large smile. Bill was quick to share his agreement to the statement before popping the movie disk into the player. Mabel sat down on the arm rest of the couch chair and patted her hand on the couch's seat, motioning for the demon to sit. Bill did as motioned and grabbed hold of the remote control, keeping it beside him.

Dipper walked into the room and gave a look of confusion. "What are you watching?" He asked.

Mabel turned to look at her brother and gave a large smile. "A mystery movie!" She answered.

Dipper hummed at this. He had assumed that when Mabel said, 'mystery movie', that she had meant the genre rather than the movie itself. At hearing of a movie involving mystery, he walked over by the TV and sat atop the skull beside the couch.

* * *

Meanwhile, Fiddleford headed down to the laboratory in hopes of finding Ford. He felt a bit of fear about confronting the scientist, especially after the intense argument between the people of the household from the previous day. When the elevator opened, Fiddleford looked in front of him to see Ford at his desk by the portal window. Ford heard the sound of the elevator opening and turned his head to look at the person entering.

Fiddleford made eye contact with the other man, until realizing that Ford held a pencil by a paper in one hand, and the enchanted dagger in his other. Fiddleford gulped at the sight of the sharp blade being held, however he proceeded to walk forward. Ford wouldn't hurt him. He would never hurt him.

...Would he?

Fiddleford stood behind Ford, hesitant to speak. "Hello, S-Stanford." He stuttered.

Ford placed both the pencil and the blade back down atop his desk. He turned the spinny-chair around to face Fiddleford. "Do you need something?" He asked in a monotone voice.

Fiddleford gave a slight frown at his friends reaction, though he couldn't say that he was surprised, either. He cleared his throat. "Not exactly..." McGucket muttered.

Stanford raised an eyebrow. "Is everything alright?" He asked, sounding a bit more concerned now.

Fiddleford gave a small shrug. "L-Let's reverse the question," He proposed. "Are _you _alright?" He asked.

"Is there a reason I shouldn't be?" Ford asked. McGucket shook his head at the question. Ford could tell why Fiddleford was asking these questions and let out a sigh. "If this is about yesterday, I can assure you that I'm alright." He said.

"Ye' don't look alright," Fiddleford observed. "Neither does Bill. Yer' both messed up pretty bad asa' recently." He said.

Ford furrowed his brows slightly. He was confused as to how Fiddleford saw anything wrong with Bill; the man had looked fine the last time Ford had checked. "Fiddleford, I don't understand _why _you've been so concerned lately. For both of us and our well-being. What's causing it? What's your _reasoning?" _He asked, his voice raising as he spoke.

Fiddleford took a step back as he saw Ford's hands balled into fists as he stood up. McGucket looked at the scientist with a hint of fear. "I-I'm just looking out for ye', Stanford. For both of ye'. A-And I know it's none a' my business, but-"

"You're correct," Ford began. "This is _none _of your business. Which leads me to wonder _why _in the _world_ you're trying to get in the middle of it all!" He exclaimed with a glare. Fiddleford's eyes widened at the other man's tone. Ford too noticed his inconsiderate statement and voice tone. His cold glare faded, and he hesitantly sat back down in his chair. Ford leaned an arm on the armrest and brought the hand up to his forehead, pinching the bridge of his nose and sighing.

"I'm sorry," Ford muttered. "I didn't mean to shout."

Fiddleford put a hand on the scientists shoulder, giving him a reassuring pat. "Is'alright. I know yer' upset. And I know ye've grown ta' hate Bill again, but..." He trailed on.

Ford froze for a moment. He took his hand away from his face and sat up straight. "I don't hate Bill." He retorted. "What I _do _hate is the horrible things he has been doing."

Fiddleford retracted his hand from Ford's shoulder and hummed. "Well, the two of ye' sure act diffr'ent around each other." He said. "Did something happen personally between the two of ye'?" He questioned.

"Come again?" Ford asked, confused now.

Fiddleford took in a deep breath before speaking. "W-Well, the two of ye' only speak when ye' have to. I don't mean ta' assume, Stanford, but I feel like ye' don't love im' at _all _anymore." He said.

"Of _course _I still love him, Fiddleford!" Ford admitted in a raised voice, putting a hand in his hair. "Which only makes this ten times more difficult to handle!"

Fiddleford saw the paranoid look on his friends face and could only find himself to assume the worst. He wondered what Ford had meant when he said 'this'. What was he referring to?

"...This?" McGucket repeated in a hesitant manner.

Ford have a short nod. "Yes. 'This' as in the horrible things he has been doing, and 'this' as in the fact that I'm trying to _move on_ due to that _very reason." _He said.

Fiddleford hummed. "So... What yer' sayin' is, ye' still love im', but ye' want ta' move on _just because _of these 'horrible things' he's been doin'?" Fiddleford asked.

"Correct." Ford confirmed with a nod of his head.

McGucket nodded. "Sorry I've been askin' all these questions." He muttered.

"You don't need to apologize." Ford assured. "I understand your curiosity." He said. and while he did in fact understand Fiddleford's curiosity, he couldn't help but wonder why his friend seemed so concerned for both him _and _Bill. He wondered what he saw wrong with Bill. From what Ford could tell, the demon seemed perfectly fine.

Fiddleford adjusted his glasses and opened his mouth as if to say something. This didn't go unnoticed by Ford, and he tried to ask just what it was about. "Yer' brother was sayin' how he was hoping ta' talk to ye' sometime soon." McGucket informed.

"Oh?" Ford said, tilting his head. "About what?" He asked.

"I'm not sure." Fiddleford answered, rather annoyed with himself at the fact of not being able to inform Ford with more information that he had been told by Stan earlier in the morning.

Ford hummed at this. "Well, then I suppose there's no point in hesitating." He said, standing up once more. With that, the two headed towards the elevator.

* * *

_"I'm sorry, Regina," _A man playing the role of John Cole in the selected film playing had begun. _"But it must be done."_ He said, kicking the chair from underneath him and letting his feet dangle in the air as he felt his oxygen flow -as well as his life- slipping away.

The woman, Regina, gave a high pitched scream of horror at the sight that she was witnessing. She looked around frantically for a way to help her beloved.

Dipper gasped at the event of suicide being displayed on the Television. Mabel and Bill both screamed. Mabel was horrified by the event, whereas Bill was remorseful for the fact that the innocent girl had to see such a thing, hence the reason he screamed. He was quick to put a hand over her eyes.

Dipper looked at the 'Employees only' door as two people emerged from the laboratory. Fiddleford was quick to hear the feminine screaming coming from the TV, and looked to see what the cause was. Ford, however, saw the looks of horror coming from the three viewers. He wondered what Bill was covering Mabel's eyes for and looked over at the television screen as well.

Fiddleford gave a look of both shock and unease at the image present. Ford also found himself horrified with the action presented. His horror quickly turned to rage as he looked back at the fear-filled children. Ford saw the remote control on the armrest and was quick to grab hold of it, pressing the button on the device that turned the TV off.

Bill looked at Ford and slowly took his hand away from Mabel's eyes now that the image was gone. Ford tossed the remote back over by the arm rest, the device landing impressively back where it had once rested.

Ford folded his arms and gave Bill a cold stare. "Would you like to explain why something such as this is being viewed on the TV to the _children?" _He asked. He noticed Bill's black eye, however he chose not to speak of it now. There was a much greater thing he wanted an answer to for the moment and right now the eye was the _least _of Ford's concerns..

Bill put his hands up slightly. "Look, I-I didn't know. Seriously!" He tried.

Ford shook his head at the excuse. "Do you honestly expect me to believe that?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

Mabel looked at Ford with a frown. "Grunkle Ford, he's telling the truth! Bill didn't know that was going to happen, none of us did!" She claimed.

Ford looked at Dipper to see if his nephew had a reaction to his sister's claim. Dipper nodded slowly. "Y-Yeah, for once, Bill's not lying." He confirmed.

"It was a mystery movie, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel said, "We had no idea what the title or description was, I-It only showed the cover!"

Dipper looked at his sister with his mouth open slightly. "Wait, I thought the _genre _was mystery, not the _context!" _He said, folding his arms.

"Save your bickering for later, Pine Tree." Bill said, silencing the boy. Dipper narrowed his eyes at the demon and huffed in annoyance. "Sixer, I know that I'm a pretty bad guy, but I wouldn't do _this _to them on _purpose!_ Not even _Pine Tree!_" He said. "Do you honestly think I wanted the kids to see _this, _out of all the other horrifying things out there?" He asked.

"Honestly, Bill..." Ford began, folding his arms. _"Yes. _I _do.__" _He answered.

"I'm not surprised," Bill commented with an eye roll. Mabel looked at the demon as he folded his arms, slouching in the chair slightly.

Ford adjusted his glasses before speaking. "Bill, I don't want you spending time with the kids anymore." He said rather frankly.

_"What?"_ Mabel and Bill exclaimed in unison, their eyes wide. Dipper stayed silent, however he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for the demon.

Mabel frowned. "Grunkle Ford, you're being unfair!" She stated, folding her arms. "Y-You can't punish Bill for something he didn't see coming!" She tried to no avail.

"I'm sorry, Mabel," Ford continued. "But it's for your own good." He said before turning around to leave the room. Fiddleford gave the group a sympathetic frown before following after Ford. Mabel watched her uncle leave with narrowed eyes.

"Look, Shooting Star. I'm sorry about that thing on TV." Bill apologized. He turned to look at Dipper. "Uh... You too, Pine Tee." He added in more of a mutter.

Dipper adjusted his hat. He watched as Bill stood up to leave the room and frowned. Even though he didn't enjoy Bill's presence in the household, he still agreed with his sister on the fact that Ford was being a bit unfair. Dipper could see the sadness in Mabel's eyes as she got off the couch, tugging on Bill's arm to get his attention, as well as to keep him from leaving.

Bill looked down at the girl and sighed. "Kid, it's fine." He tried to assure.

Dipper huffed. "Are you kidding?" He asked, stepping off the skull and folding his arms. "Nothing about this is fine!" He said.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Look Pine Tree, I already apologized. I don't know what more you want from me." He grumbled.

"That's... Not what I'm talking about," Dipper muttered. Bill raised an eyebrow at this, and Mabel too gave her brother a confused glance. Dipper sighed. "Look man, you and I both know that I don't really like you, but even I see that things are wrong here. And even though you've been doing a suspiciously high amount of good recently, I don't see how Ford can just ignore all of that!" He said.

Mabel looked at her brother in disbelief for a bit. After a moment of silence, Mabel smirked and gave her brother a playful punch in the arm, to which Dipper groaned, rubbing the spot on his arm that had been nudged.

"What's _this? _Dip-dop is going soft?" Mabel asked with a snicker.

Dipper rolled his eyes. "Come on, Mabel. Don't overreact. I'm not going soft, I-I just think this is wrong. All of this is wrong." He stated.

Mabel hummed and looked back at Bill. "Well, before you go to wherever it is you disappear to during the day, take the sweater." Mabel told Bill, walking over to the couch and grabbing said sweater from its safe place behind the couch. Bill took hold of the sweater and looked at it for a moment. A part of Bill had the sudden urge to burn the garment. However, he knew that doing so would cause nothing but sadness from Mabel after all the time they had spent making it. Bill frowned and gave the sweater back to the girl.

"There's no point, kid." Bill stated. "A sweater isn't gonna fix the problems Sixer's got with me." He said with a shake of his head.

"But it'll help!" Mabel tried.

"Not now, alright?" Bill snapped. "Now is a terrible time to give it to him." He said, looking over at the back door at knowing that Stan and Ford were both outside, as well as Fiddleford.

Meanwhile, out on the porch, Stan was speaking to Ford about previous matters whilst Fiddleford sat on the outdoor couch beside Stan.

"For the last time, Stanley," Ford began. "I'm_ not_ the one at fault here." He claimed.

Stan just scoffed at this. "And I've payed taxes all my life." He responded in a sarcastic manner, taking a sip of his Pitt Cola. "Seriously Pointdexter, we all know that you can be _more_ than your fair share of stubborn, but you're really upsettin' the kids." He pointed out.

"Why on earth would the twins feel the need to be upset?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Maybe because you banned the kids from talkin' to Bill." Stan said with a shrug.

Ford shifted. "Wh- You heard that?" He asked, surprised at this.

Stan rolled his eyes. "I'm not an idiot, Sixer. The walls aren't as sound-proof as you think." He said.

Ford ran a hand through his hair and cleared his throat whilst Stan took a long sip of his Pitt Cola. "W-Well for your information, I am most certainly_ not_ stubborn." He stated, folding his arms.

Stan nearly choked on his soda at this. Fiddleford scooted over towards the end of the couch as Stan spat out the drink, throwing his head back and laughing hysterically at the statement. Ford narrowed his eyes in distaste for his brothers actions. Fiddleford bit his lip and turned away as he attempted to stifle a snicker. His timing of acting on this had failed him, and he ended up laughing along with Stan.

Ford huffed. "I like to make... _rational_ decisions." He defended.

"Oh, you're somethin', Stanford." Stan said, leaning back on the couch and crossing one leg over the other. "Look, uh... no offense, but nothing you've been doing is 'rational'." He stated.

"Please," Ford scoffed. "I highly doubt you understand the mere _definition_ of rational." He grumbled.

Stan's grin turned into a frown. "What part of 'I'm not an idiot' didja' not catch?" He asked his brother, narrowing his eyes.

"Stanley, is there a legitimate reason to be speaking as of now?" Ford asked. "There are much more important things I could be doing." He stated.

"True," Stan said. "I don't think you've finished your check list of ways to upset every being on earth yet." He said.

"I don't see myself upsetting anyone!" Ford defended once more, putting his hands on his hips.

As if timing were against Stanford, Bill slammed the porch door open, walking onto the porch with his eyes closed and groaning. "Fidds, I'm_ upset!"_ He pouted.

Fiddleford looked at the man, raising an eyebrow. _Does e'ryone in this shack have issues? _He asked himself.

Bill opened his eyes and looked in front of him, unamused at the person he saw in front of him. "Oh," He grumbled, looking at Ford in a distasteful manner. "On second thought, I'll save my ranting for later before I get scolded-" He said, taking a step back.

Stan looked at his brother with a deadpan look. "My point exactly." He said.

"Point?" Bill repeated, stopping in his tracks. He walked back onto the porch once more and leaned on the couch with his arm, supporting himself up slightly with his elbow. "What point?" He questioned.

"It's nothing." Ford muttered, folding his arms.

Bill just smirked._ "Nothing?"_ He began, standing up straight now. He mirrored Ford's folded arms and walked towards him, standing face to face with the scientist. "Or is it just something you're intending to keep from me _specifically?"_ He asked, the two close now.

"This doesn't concern you." Ford hissed.

"What're ya' talkin' about, Sixer? Of _course_ it involves him!" Stan retorted. "You're just stirrin' the pot by not tellin' him." He added in a mutter.

"Well then, would you mind sharing?" Bill asked, not surprised that the conversation was based off him. Ford was silent, and instead just looked away from the demon. Bill hummed in distaste at this. He waited a moment, only to receive no reply from the other man. Bill narrowed his eyes and brought a hand up to Stanford's forehead, flicking it with his finger. "Earth to Sixer!" He tried.

Ford looked back at him and grabbed hold of his wrist, furrowing his brows. "I'm sure you'll be able to realize that you don't have to be involved in _everything_ that goes on in his household." He stated.

"Well, if this is about me, I'd like to know what's going on. Wouldn't ya' think?" Bill shot back.

"You are not_ entitled_ to this information," Ford said, shaking his head. He tightened his grip on the man's wrist, causing Bill to cringe slightly. "Perhaps if you stayed out of everything for a while, there would be less problems!"

"Oh, _spare me_ the lecture," Bill said, rolling his eyes. He yanked his arm out of the scientists grip. "I'm sure you'll be able to come up with one, won't ya, _smart guy?"_ He asked, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford gave a short chuckle out of the upmost disbelief and sarcasm. "It's easy to do with someone like yourself." He said. "Not to mention with all of the horrible things you've done as of recently."

"Oh, _boo-hoo!"_ Bill exaggerated. "So I may have done a _few_ bad things, but you can't say that it wasn't for the greater good!"

Stanford scoffed in disgust at this. "And what would _you know_ about the 'greater good', Bill?" He asked, narrowing his eyes once more.

Fiddleford adjusted his glasses. "I-I mean... he's got a point, Stanford." He stated in a hesitant manner.

"See?" Bill exclaimed, "Even Fiddlesticks agrees with me!"

"I nev'r said I _agree,"_ Fiddleford retorted.

Bill ignored the man's statement. "I don't know why you insist on looking at me like I'm_ so terrible_ when I'm _clearly_ trying to do some good around here, Stanford!" He said, looking at Ford once more.

"You _are_ terrible." Ford reminded. He opted not to bring up the scars he now had to live with after all the years in the multiverse. "You've put my family in danger on multiple occasions, just _one of them_ being Weirdmageddon." He said.

Bill shifted when Ford had brought up Weirdmageddon. Then again, he couldn't say that he was surprised. At this point, Stanford would use anything against him in order to prove his point. "I thought you said we dropped that." He still said, biting his lip slightly.

"We cannot _simply __drop_ it for good, Bill." Ford bellowed. "You and I _both_ know that."

Bill was silent for a moment. He looked at the man before speaking. "How many times am I gonna have to apologize for that?" He asked in a soft tone; one that was very uncommon for someone like Bill.

"Until I forget about it," Ford answered. "And I wish you luck with that happening." He said.

"Maybe someday you will forget." Bill muttered, though he wasn't too confident in that claim himself.

Bill spoke just loud enough for Ford to overhear. Ford growled before raising his voice. "How do you expect me to simply forget the electrical_ torture you-"_

_"Don't_ bring that up!" Bill begged, a look of remorse on his face as he looked at the scientist with wide eyes. "I... _don't_ want to relive that." He admitted, looking away.

Ford clenched his fists by his sides. "Neither would I," He said, "But we have _no choice!"_ He said, a clear glare on his face.

Bill looked back at Ford, mirroring his glare. "If I remember right, you were the one who originally said we could drop it!" He reminded.

"And what a _foolish remark_ that was," Ford continued in a firm manner. "You need to be aware that some things cannot pass by."

"I feel a lecture coming on," Bill grumbled. "Go on, Fordsy! Give me another one of your lectures, I can take it!" He exclaimed, taking a step closer to the man.

Ford didn't bother to acknowledge their closeness. He kept his glare. "This is no lecture," Ford said, "Consider it more of a _reality check." _

"Okay, then spare me the reality check!" Bill said, "Seriously, if your only intentions with me are to remind me of the past, I might as well take the same route poor ol' John Cole did!" He stated, putting his hands on his hips once more as he shot a glare at the scientist.

"Well then why _don't you?"_ Ford shouted, his glare hardening. Everything went silent. Fiddleford and Stanley looked on in disbelief. In a low tone, Ford added, "You're a _monster."_

Bill's eyes widened. His lips parted at this due to his shock. Bill's arms dropped to his sides as he looked at the other man in complete disbelief. While he knew that Ford had a recent distaste for him once more, Bill never would have thought that he would wish _death_ upon him. Bill felt his lip quiver slightly. He was quick to bite it in hopes of stopping it as he took a step back.

Ford, too, was taken aback by his remark. A wave of remorse passed by him at this, however he couldn't find any words to apologize for his words. Ford cringed when Bill shot him a cold glare before swiftly turning around, pushing the door open and slamming it behind him. Ford put an arm out to no avail. He knew that Bill was upset. He had ever right to be. Ford kicked himself for saying such a heartless thing to the other man.

"Bill..." Ford muttered, a frown on his face. Stan looked at his brother with a glare. Fiddleford frowned at the scientist. He gasped when Stan put his Pitt Cola in his lap as he stood up. Fiddleford ignored the beverage that now laid atop his lap and looked at Stan as he headed towards his brother. Stan gripped the sides of Ford's lab coat, forcing him close with a glare as he looked into his brother's remorse-filled eyes.

"Oh, you've really done it this time, Stanford." Stan hissed, his glare still apparent. "And here I thought your bullshit couldn't go any further! Look, no one cares if the two of ya' hate each other, but why the hell would you say something like _that?"_ He asked.

"Stanley, I-I didn't mean it," Ford tried, "It was a heat of the moment-"

"Excuses, excuses," Stan grumbled with a shake of his head. "You're not a bad person, Stanford. But sayin' stuff like that's gonna make ya' one." He said.

Ford sighed. _"I know."_ He muttered. "I just don't know see how I could have _possibly_ said such a thing. I would never say that to anyone. Not even Bill." He said.

_Especially not Bill. _Ford mentally added.

Stan took his hands off his brother's lab coat, taking a step back. He sat back down on the couch and snatched his Pitt Cola back from Fiddleford with a grunt. McGucket stood up hesitantly and walked towards Ford now. Stanford looked down at McGucket as the other took hold of his hand, making eye contact.

"Maybe ye' should go talk to im'." Fiddleford suggested. "After that, it'd probably be best."

Ford could only shrug. "Are you sure about that?" He asked. "If I were Bill, I would prefer some time alone." He said.

"Well, ye' know how Cipher can be." Fiddleford began. "Even if he does want ta' be alone, under this a'circumstance, ye' might want to at least apologize to im'." He recommended. "In case he was ta'... do anything irrational." He added in more of a mutter.

The mutter hit Ford's ears. He frowned at the mere thought of Bill taking any outrageous actions because of _his _words, and quite frankly his _encouragement_. He wished not to think of such terrible things, though his mind was not one to grant that wish. Ford drew in a breath and nodded slowly at his friend. "You're correct. I'm sure confronting him would be wise. I will be sure to look for him in a bit after giving him a moment to cool off." He assured. Fiddleford could only nod.

* * *

Sometime while the adults were outside, Dipper had left the room to go write in his journal bout the events of yesterday's adventure. Mabel looked at the door frame from in the living room and saw an angered Bill headed her way. She raised an eyebrow at this.

"Bill, what happened?" Mabel asked. She noticed the demons clenched fists and could only assume the worst. "I heard a lot of shouting, is Grunkle Ford upset again?" She asked.

"Don't worry about it, Shooting Star." Bill grumbled as he walked past the girl.

Mabel frowned and grabbed a wrapped package from behind her back. "Wait!" She addressed. Bill showed no signs of stopping as he headed towards the 'Employees only' door. Mabel grabbed the wrapped gift and ran up to Bill, stepping in front of him and standing in front of the door to stop him in his tracks. Bill hissed in annoyance at Mabel and tried to get around her without hurting the young teenager.

"I wrapped Grunkle Ford's sweater," Mabel said, holding it up in front of Bill. She felt guilty for wrapping it without asking Bill's opinion on the colored wrapping paper, so she had opted to go with light blue with a green stick-on bow. The demon froze for a moment and grabbed hold of the wrapped sweater.

"Then go give it to him," Bill suggested with narrowed eyes. "It's clear that he wants nothing to do with me."

"I'm sure that's not true!" Mabel retorted.

Bill growled and shot a glare at the girl, his eyes becoming red from rage. "Why don't you go ask _him _that?" He shouted, his voice giving out an echo. Mabel gasped at the man's sudden change of tone, and shivered at the echoey ring that once reminded her of nothing but horror. Bill clenched the package that was still in his hands and threw it down to the ground with a grunt. Mabel sat down to grab the package and watched as Bill stormed out of the living room and into the gift shop. Mabel held the wrapped sweater in her arms and frowned at the direction Bill had left. She could tell that something was wrong, though she was aware that asking Bill about the situation would be out of place.

Bill was quick to head towards the vending machine. He wished to waste little to no time on what he was intending to do. At the very least no one would be there to bother him if he was down in the laboratory rather than anywhere else in the shack.

Bill made quick work of rushing down the stairs, entering the elevator and pushing the button that would take him down to the lab. He considered going to the private study. Even though he had been specifically instructed not to go down there (Just as everyone else had been told) he figured that the study could potentially be a better place to ensure his privacy. It wasn't until Bill remembered that there was a button that would stop the elevator from working down in the laboratory that Bill decided to enter the laboratory instead.

When he entered the laboratory, he checked the portal room as well as the bedroom to make sure that he was alone. Thankfully yet unsurprisingly, no one else was present in the laboratory. Bill looked around the room for the specific object he was hoping to find. He checked desk drawers, the file cabinets, the shelfs, dressers, and any other possible storage containers or drawers. He huffed in annoyance when he couldn't find what he was looking for.

_Pine Tree has adventuring supplies,_ Bill thought to himself._ But if I took any of it, he'd just ask questions. _

Bill folded his arms and hummed as he stood in the middle of the laboratory. He looked over at a nearby desk as he proceeded to think to himself, when he noticed the enchanted dagger laying atop the desk, shining slightly as if it were calling his name. Bill's eyes figuratively lit up at the mere sight of the sharp dagger.

* * *

Meanwhile, after waiting a few minutes, Ford was quick to leave the porch, shutting the door behind him and heading into the living room. He looked at the ground to see Mabel on her knees, clutching something in her hands. He was curious as to what the girl held close in her arms. Ford heard a sniffle from the girl, causing him to frown. He wondered what had made his niece upset. Hesitantly, he walked over to the girl, getting down on one knee and putting a hand on her shoulder. Mabel gasped at the contact and turned around, seeing her uncle's concerned expression looking back at her.

"Mabel?" Ford addressed. Mabel bit her lip and looked back down at the carpet. Her sadness was like a stab to the heart. "What's wrong, my dear?" He asked.

Mabel was hesitant to speak. Stanford gave her a moment and sighed as the girl sniffled once more. Mabel looked up at her uncle with a frown, her eyes shining.

"S-Something's wrong..." Mabel muttered.

Ford raised an eyebrow at this. "What is it?" He questioned.

Mabel held the wrapped sweater closer in her arms. She knew that since the gift was wrapped, Ford wouldn't know what it is. But in this moment, she knew that what she held was the least of his concerns. He was more curious for her well-being.

"I-I don't know what happened..." Mabel continued, shaking her head and biting her lip to hold back the tears. "But... something's wrong with Bill." She informed.

Ford felt guilty for the reason of his nieces sadness. He was well aware that it was his fault regarding whatever had happened with Bill.

"Did Bill do anything to hurt you?" Ford asked.

Mabel shook her head. "N-No..." She mumbled. "He just seemed mad. _Really_ mad." She said. "But... Bill seemed sad, too. I know he won't admit it, but I could tell that there was something wrong." She said.

"I can assure you Mabel, I'm going to talk to him. You don't have to be concerned." Ford began.

"I can't help it!" Mabel exclaimed suddenly, which surprised Ford. Mabel had wide eyes now. "I've never seen Bill look like that, _never!" _She cried, burying her hands in her hair and looking down at the floor. Ford looked at her with a frown still apparent. He was never too good with comforting people, let alone a 13 (Soon to be 14) year old girl. He rubbed the top of Mabel's head gently, in hopes of seeming reassuring.

Mabel swallowed the lump forming in her throat and looked at her uncle once more. "Grunkle Ford?" She began. Ford tilted his head at the girl, hoping she would proceed. After a moment of silence, Mabel asked, "What happened out there?"

Ford was taken aback by the question. He gave a look of unease and drew his eyes away from his niece, scratching the back of his neck. "Well," He began in a muttered tone. He looked at Mabel once more. "I suppose I had said some things that I shouldn't have." He answered hesitantly. He wasn't exactly sure how to answer the girl's question without making her panic.

"Yeah, I heard a lot of yelling..." Mabel muttered. "Is Bill going to be okay?" She asked.

Ford paused for a moment. "I'm sure he will be okay," He began. "I was just about to go speak to him about it. Do you know where he went?" He asked, his tone a bit more firm now.

Mabel nodded and pointed to the 'Employees only' door. Ford nodded and thanked his niece, standing up. He walked towards the door until he felt a tug on his lab coat. He turned around and looked down at Mabel.

"Yes?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mabel sighed and looked up at Ford. "Please be nice." She said in a tone that could have easily been mistaken for a whisper.

Ford cringed slightly at this. Though he knew that it was his responsibility to take the hit. He felt _terrible_ for making his niece see him as a bad enough person to where she had to _request_ for him to be kind to Bill. This made him wonder just _how much_ he had truly seemed like a bad person to Mabel, as well as the rest of his family, Fiddleford, and even Bill.

Ford nodded slowly at his niece. "I will." He assured, offering the girl the best reassuring smile he could manage before walking into the gift shop. Mabel watched her uncle leave, and looked down at the gift in her arms. She had accidently ripped and crumpled part of the wrapping paper (Though she was sure that part of the damage had been from Bill as well.) She stood up and wiped the tears from her eyes, walking out of the living room to go upstairs and rewrap the sweater.

* * *

Bill took hold of the enchanted dagger. He examined the blade and admired its shape and shine. A dagger with such beautiful handcrafted details was too lovely to be soiled with blood. What a pity that the blades fate would have come to something so messy.

Bill couldn't help but think to himself as he looked down at the blade in his hands. For a moment he had to rethink his thoughts in his head. What he was doing was something he wasn't sure if he would regret or not. At remembering that there was a chance of returning back to normal if he were to go along with his plan, he was able tell himself that what he was about to do was _really _happening. He was _really _going to do this. But at what cost? At what benefit?

He wondered what would happen to him if, in fact, he _wouldn't _return to his normal state. Would his being die along with the body he had been practically forced to live in the past _ten months? _He thought about it for a moment and knew that doing this would be for the greater good in a variety of contexts.

Bill walked away from the desk as he paced the middle of the laboratory in a small circle. Ford was wrong about one thing; Bill knew what the greater good was. If he was gone, the Pines' would all be able to go on with their lives. Dipper and Fiddleford would both have one less thing to be paranoid about, and Stan wouldn't have to instruct and chide him about every mistake he made when it came to working at the gift shop. Sure, Mabel may be saddened at the loss of him, but Bill was sure that the girl would get over it soon enough.

_And Ford... _

Well, Ford would get _exactly _what he wanted. Bill frowned at the thought of his former enemy (And, perhaps his current, based on Ford's recent opinion of him.) winning. Bill looked down at the blade and held it up closer to his chest, holding the blade with both hands now. This _is _what Ford wanted, after all. And what better way to get some long-awaited approval from the scientist than to get rid of the issue that Ford so despised for good?

Bill couldn't help but give a relieving smile. At least this way he wouldn't have to hear the old man speak so bitterly to him. About him. About _anything _Bill would ever dare attempt to do in hopes of satisfying the man. Regardless of how much Bill risked his life, no matter how much he put himself in danger and tested his skills at a variety of things, it was never enough. All of Bill's effort he had displayed as of recently- all for _nothing. _Nothing he did was enough for the one man in the universe whom he trusted.

And what a foolish mistake that had been. Trusting Ford enough to let the scientist trick him into letting him in, using Bill only when he needed him, and otherwise toying with his weaknesses. Bill's grip on the dagger tightened as he felt himself growing angry with how _easily _he had been manipulated- and for what?

_I guess I know how he felt. _Bill thought to himself. _All those years ago... _

Bill's thoughts went back to when he had first begun living at the shack. He remembered one morning when he had left the shack, regardless of Ford trying to stop him from running off into the woods. Bill had successfully left the house, only to have been confronted by Ford under a large, old, and very dead tree just minutes after his escape.

_"__You know, I'm not much of the revenge type," _Stanford had begun. The demon could remember the scientists finger pointing directly at him whilst his arms were folded_. "And no matter how much you deserve a taste of your own medicine, I won't be one to inflict vengeance."_ He had told Bill.

_Liar. _Bill thought to himself. _He's a liar. _Based off recent events, there was not one single thing that Ford had done to prove Bill otherwise. Not one gesture Ford had shown Bill in order to prove that he wasn't out for revenge. From what Bill had seen, Ford now hoped for nothing but.

"Well played, Stanford Pines." Bill muttered to himself.

Bill could remember how, after Ford had said those words in the forest, he had grabbed Bill's wrist. Firm, yet gentle at the same time. The look Ford had given him... That look was one thousand times better than the looks he received now. Bill could almost feel the hand on his wrist, a feeling he wished not to experience. _Not now. _Bill did not need a distraction that would get in the way of his plan.

Bill looked at the dagger once more. His hands began to shake slightly as he moved the daggers sharp point facing towards his chest. He bit his lip as the shining of the dagger caught his eye. Bill slowly moved the dagger close to him, his hands shaking more and more with every breath he took.

_This shouldn't be hard. _Bill tried to tell himself. _I've never minded a bit of pain. _Though his thoughts of encouragement didn't matter whatsoever. Bill knew what was at stake. And at this point he could care less. So what was he so hesitant about? Bill huffed in annoyance.

"Come on, Cipher..." Bill muttered to himself. "P-pain is... _H-Hilarious." _He stammered. He was disturbed by the rapid pace his hands insisted on shaking. It certainly didn't help his circumstance. He growled and shook his head in hopes of stopping his hesitance. He looked down at the dagger facing towards him with a firm look.

_Just o__ne little stab... _

* * *

Ford entered the elevator after entering the secret entrance through the vending machine and descending down the steps to his laboratory. He pressed the button on the elevator and watched as the doors closed.

_I hope Bill will be willing to talk after our argument from earlier. _Ford thought to himself. He felt like kicking himself for saying such a heartless thing. Sure, he had said quite a lot of things, and he knew that he had his reasons to be upset at Bill- but he knew that going_ that far_ with his words was certainly on _him. _There were no excuses for saying such a thing. Ford groaned and pressed his back against the elevator wall, bringing his hands up to his face and moving them up to his hair. He raked through his hair with his fingers as he let out a sigh. He understood that Bill may not want to speak with him. In fact he had every right to take time to himself after the careless words that had slipped past Ford's lips.

He adjusted his glasses and looked down at the elevator floor, awaiting to hear the _ding! _of the elevator. Ford put his hands behind his back and hummed to himself. _Surely this can get resolved one way or another... _Ford tried to reassure himself. He felt the elevator stop and proceeded to look at the floor before the doors opened. Ford looked up when the elevators opened, only to see the absolute _worst possible outcome_ his mind had_ dared_ to think. Ford's hands dropped to his sides. In the middle of the laboratory stood Bill, holding the dagger's point right up against his chest, his hands shaking as he wore a fear-filled facial expression. Bill squinted his eyes shut and tilted his head away as if it would make his attempt easier. He didn't seem to notice Ford standing in the elevator whatsoever. He must have been too deep in thought to have noticed the scientist. Ford inhaled sharply at the traumatic sight he saw before him.

_"Bill!"_ Stanford hollered in the upmost fearfully heartbreaking tone of voice, his face filled with remorse and disbelief as he looked on at the blonde.

Bill's eyes fluttered open in confusion at the sound of a familiar voice. At first he assumed it was all in his head. But _no, _that voice... that tone of voice was _much too heartbreaking_ to have _possibly_ been created in his mind. Bill looked down at the dagger he held in his arms. He saw no blood on the blade._ Not yet._ He looked over at the elevator, only to see Stanford bolting towards him, a desperate and sorrowed look on his face as he rushed towards the other man. Ford had already been halfway across the room to Bill before he had even noticed the scientist running towards him. Before Bill could react, Ford extended an arm out, stopping in front of Bill and grabbing the man's wrist in a tight manner, as if he would lose the man if he were to let go.

The exact moment Ford grasped hold of Bill, the blonde dropped the dagger to the floor, his hand empty now as he locked eye contact with Ford, both of their eyes wide.

Bill was shocked- why did Ford look so concerned all of a sudden? This is what he wanted. Stanford had stated that quite clearly to him. This current situation confused Bill. He wondered if Ford was upset, and his mind was just playing games with him. That was certainly a logical explanation, being that Ford had no reason to be concerned for his safety whatsoever.

Ford looked at Bill. He looked stunned, shocked that Ford was there so suddenly. Ford took a closer look at Bill. He looked like hell. Absolute hell. Ford cursed himself for not noticing it all earlier.

Bill had clear eye bags under his eyes- he was obviously sleep deprived. Bill had a black eye that had been unintentionally caused by him the other day. Ford felt guilty for harming the man, accident or not. His black eye was the only thing he had been able to see wrong with Bill until now. He could see the healing wounds on Bill's hand and wrist that he held tightly from the corner of his eye, caused by the car's glass from a few days ago. Ford didn't dare look at the damage on his arm, however. He couldn't draw his eyes away from Bill. He feared that if he did, anything could happen in this moment. Ford looked closer and noticed a bruise on Bill's forehead, as well as a cut that was still in the process of healing above his lips. Though he wasn't sure how those were caused, he guessed that it was from his driving attempt.

Ford's heart stung. To think that he had been so blind. So blind that he couldn't see how much Bill had taken in, and how much damage he had inflicted on himself in order to help and satisfy others. Ford felt like a fool. His family had been right all along. And it has to go so far as Bill nearly _killing himself _for Ford to notice. Was he still mad at Bill? Sure he was. But clearly if Bill had truly felt the need to go this far, there was something Ford wasn't seeing. Something he hasn't been _allowing himself _to see. There was no way in the multiverse that Bill would have taken such an action _just because _of the previous words Ford had spoken to him earlier. If anything, Ford had only _encouraged _Bill to do such a thing.

_I'm a fool... _Ford thought to himself. _Have I honestly hurt him this much? _The thought seemed reasonable to Ford. Bill looked like he could collapse to the cold floor at any moment. And what had Ford done to acknowledge _any _of these signs?

Ford lifted his spare hand up rather quickly- faster than he would have wished. Bill gasped at the gesture and squinted his eyes shut, turning his cheek to the side as he faced his head away from the other man. Bill knew what was coming. At least now he was ready to take in the hard slap he knew Ford was about to inflict upon him.

Ford looked at Bill as the demon turned his face away slightly and flinching in fear of being hit. By the silence in the room, Ford could hear the other man's shaky breath. Stanford's heart shattered at this. Him lifting his own hand up, only for Bill to assume that he was going to be hit by the six-fingered hand. Ford frowned as Bill kept his eyes squeezed shut. Did Bill honestly see him as this kind of man? That Bill would think Ford would harm him just because he raised his hand up slightly? Ford couldn't blame Bill- after his recent carelessness he understood how the demon could jump to such a conclusion.

Instead of giving Bill the hard slap the demon assumed he deserved, Bill was confused when he felt a hand on the side of his cheek. Bill bit his lip and looked up at Ford, who looked back at him with a sympathetic frown. Bill exhaled slowly, making an attempt to bring his breathing back to its normal pace as he hesitantly leaned into Ford's touch.

Ford slowly caressed the left side of Bill's cheek with his thumb. _Gosh, _The blonde looked so fragile in this moment. As if he were a window pane that could shatter at any moment. He would be gentle of course, as he didn't want to alarm Bill. Not now. Ford sighed and brought his hand up down to the man's chin.

Bill hissed in pain at the sudden sting. There was apparently a bruise under his chin that he hasn't recognized or realized was there earlier. Ford hasn't been aware of the bruise either, and he was quick to retract his hand from the sensitive spot. His hand rested atop the side of Bill's neck instead.

_What am I doing? _Bill asked himself. He was quick to use his spare hand to grab Ford's wrist, taking it away from his shoulder. Bill wasn't sure why he was giving in to such touches. He wasn't sure why Ford was suddenly presenting the gestures, either. Bill held Ford's wrist in one hand whilst Ford held Bill's wrist in the other. The two would have seen their situation as awkward, had they not both been pondering deep thought.

_They were right... _Ford thought to himself. He couldn't stand to see his beloved so messed up and injured. It hurt him when Ford realised just how much Bill had put up with as of recently. _Oh, _how Ford wished he could have gone back a few days to have the ability to treat the demon with a bit more respect, as well as kindness. Regardless of how upset Ford was at Bill, he knew that speaking and acting so cruel towards the other man was out of line.

Bill didn't know why Ford seemed so concerned. Had he not just wished death upon Bill earlier? Regardless of his questions of the moment, he was taken aback when Ford said,

_"I'm sorry." _


	44. Long awaited words

**Hello! I hope you all are safe from the virus. I heard that it's getting worse in some areas, which is alarming. ;-;**

**There is a warning I want to give for this chapter (Well, a couple warnings, actually. One warning is that there are mentions of blood,) but I don't know how to give the other warning without giving things away. So... Just be warned about this chapter a bit in general! It's not horrible, so if you read the last chapter, I'm sure this will be just fine. And if you didn't, that's okay too. Basically, Bill and Ford are currently down in the laboratory, and Ford stopped Bill from committing suicide just before it happened. Bill's reason for doing so was a few different things, but to sum it up quickly, Ford said some _very _careless words that he had regretted, and with everything that has been happening to Bill recently, it only fueled his decision of trying something so** **crazy.** **(Bill also had wondered that if he were to die, perhaps he would get his old form back.)**

**This chapter starts exactly where the last chapter left off. **

**Here is chapter 44 of "Welcome Home". **

_"I'm sorry."_ Ford said. There were so many things Ford could have said, would have said, but he couldn't find the words. This... well, this was a start.

Bill raised an eyebrow at the words. _Sorry? What's he sorry for?_ Bill wondered. He gasped sharply as Ford made a sudden movement, letting go of Bill's wrist and throwing his arms around Bill's neck, pulling him close as he rested his chin atop the demon's shoulder. Bill was beyond confused. One moment, Ford is shouting at him about a variety of different things, and the next he is showing sudden protection for his safety. What was wrong with him?

The scientist kept his hold around Bill, trailing a hand up to the back of Bill's head as he pulled the other man closer. Ford sighed as he swallowed the forming lump in his throat. The fact that he had been just _moments away_ from losing Bill forever was _heartbreaking. _He knew that it was all his fault. _His_ carelessness has driven Bill to this crazy decision, which made the entirety of the situation all the harder to fathom.

"I'm so sorry..." Ford apologized in a whispered tone as he squinted his eyes shut. Bill hadn't the slightest idea of how to react to this. To any of this. He turned his head ever so slightly, drawing his eyes over to the elevator. Bill frowned. He had forgotten to stop the elevator and press the button that would have halted it from functioning. He was a bit upset that he had failed to press the button for his plan, however he couldn't help but feel a small feeling of relief that he _had _forgotten. Bill lifted his arms up slightly, and they dangled in the air for a moment as he pondered the unsureness of if he should return the gesture. After a moment, Bill put his arms around Ford's back hesitantly as they stood in silence.

_Near_ silence.

Bill's mouth opened slightly in confusion as he heard a small sniffle beside him. He raised an eyebrow and heard the other man's trembling breath. "Sixer...Are you _crying?"_ He asked. He had never heard the scientist in such a state. It was unusual, and it only fed his confusion on the situation.

Ford bit his lip at the question. _"N-No,"_ He said, a clear lie as far as Bill could tell. Ford had never been good at bluffing. "I've... just got dust in my eyes." He lied.

Bill doubted this. "You're wearing glasses, smart guy." He muttered. "Tell me how _that_ would work."

Ford was silent for a moment. He was unamused that he had been caught in a lie, though he wasn't surprised, either. He was quick to blink back his first forming tear before it could roll down his cheek. He hated being in this state- as he thought it made him seem weak. Bill would have turned his head, though it would be difficult with Ford's head atop his shoulder. Bill just sighed and grabbed Ford's shoulders, gently pushing him away.

"Alright, what's wrong?" Bill asked in a monotone manner, looking at the scientist.

Ford looked down at the floor for a moment. Bill waited patiently for a response, thinking the other would answer. Ford opened his mouth to speak, only to close it. He wasn't sure how to answer the straight forward question when there were so many things rushing through his head. Bill grew impatient after a bit and put one hand on the side of Ford's cheek, the other under his chin, causing Ford to look up and lean into the touch. The two made eye contact, and Bill tilted his head as he awaited a response.

"It's..." Ford began in a mutter, speaking hesitantly. "Knowing that I've been so _blind. _The fact that I nearly _lost you_ not five minutes ago." He answered.

Bill hummed. "Really?" He asked in a slightly doubtful tone. "Funny, I thought you didn't care what happened to me. You said so yourself that I-"

"I was _wrong." _Ford stated frankly before Bill could finish his sentence. "I hadn't meant to say something so careless. I would never say such a thing to you. To _anyone, _really." He said.

Bill furrowed his brows slightly. "Well it's _very _reassuring to know that you see me as just another person." He said with an eye roll.

"Now you're putting words into my mouth," Ford stated with a shake of his head.

"Am I? Am I _really, _Stanford?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips and raising his voice. "Because based on what you just said, it sure _seems_ like it." He said.

"You have no idea what you're talking about," Ford began. "Don't you understand? You're much more important to me than some other stranger on Earth, Bill. Don't you see just how important you are? Do... Do you _know _how much I _love you?"_ He asked, gripping onto Bill's shoulders now.

Bill was taken aback by the sudden confession, if it could be labeled as such. He shrugged Ford's hands off of him and folded his arms. "You have a funny way of showing it." He grumbled.

Ford took the hit. He knew that it was well deserved. "Bill, I know that I've been stubborn-" He began.

"You know what?" Bill snapped in a raised voice. "You _have _been stubborn. You've been _more _than stubborn. You have been cruel, ungrateful, in denial, and _far _from understanding!" He exclaimed with a glare, clenching his fists by his sides.

"I _know _that-" Ford tried, only to be cut off.

"Not _only _that, but you've made the unjust decision to _completely _ignore any and all of my hopes on letting me explain myself on a variety of occasions, and you've been on my back about the_ smallest _mistakes every change you get!" Bill continued, his heart racing in rage. "So I don't know who you think you are doing all of this, only to suddenly point out that you _care _about me? I'm _not_ convinced, Sixer. Not in the slightest." He stated with narrowed eyes.

"Bill, _please," _Ford began. "If you would give me a moment to explain-" He continued, being stopped between his sentence by the other man.

"Explain what? What _is there _for you to explain?" Bill asked. "Ever since I returned to this shack, what chance have you given me to explain why reasons for anything that I've done? I'll admit- I've done some bad things, but I've made an effort to do what's good. I've made the effort for _you, _Sixer! You say that I don't know what the greater good really is, but how would you know that if you haven't taken time to actually _listen_ to me?" Bill shouted with a glare.

"Bill, I'm sorry." Ford said.

"Oh, _oh!" _Bill exclaimed, a wide grin suddenly plastered along his face. "Well that fixes _everything _then, doesn't it?" He asked in a sarcastic manner.

"It _doesn't." _Ford stated, his voice firm. "I know that it doesn't."

Bill hummed at this. "Well if you know that, would you mind letting me tell my side of the story?" He hoped, looking Ford in the eyes with a pleading look. "Would it _kill __ya' _to just... To just_ listen?"_ He asked, his voice soft.

Ford frowned. It was very uncommon for Bill to speak in such a tone. After all of the good points he had just brought attention to, Ford knew that it was only fair for Bill to speak his side of the story.

"Okay," Ford said, nodding his head and looking away. His tone was nearly inaudible. "Okay." He repeated in a murmur.

Bill gave a silent sigh before speaking. "That day... The day when you and Fidds kissed, I came back and saw what had happened. And that's the reason I ran off and ended up living with Karen." He informed.

"I know that." Ford said with a nod of his head. He cringed slightly at the woman's name whom he had seen snuggling up against Bill at the magic festival.

"Well did you know that the _reason _I left wasn't because of jealousy?" Bill quizzed, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford shifted slightly. All this time that's all he thought Bill had felt about the situation. And to find out his rational assumption had been incorrect stunned him. "N-no," Ford admitted, scratching the back of his neck awkwardly, a look of unease apparent on his face. This didn't go unnoticed by Bill.

"The reason I left was because I thought you had betrayed my trust." Bill revealed. "Those three months you had spent hanging out with ol' Fiddlesticks, where you kept _insisting _that the two of you were _only friends _and nothing more, only for me to find out what I thought had been the truth; that you had been hiding it from me all that time." He said in a rather low tone.

Ford hummed. "I see now how you could have thought that." He muttered, putting his hands behind his back.

Bill have a nod before continuing. "You know me. I don't usually take things lightly. So naturally my instinct was revenge. I admit that I shouldn't have done what I did, it was messed up, even for someone like me. But the thought that _you, _Sixer, the one man I _actually_ thought I could trust in this hellhole of a dimension, betrayed my trust just like that?" Bill continued, snapping his fingers together once before folding his arms and looking away. "It got to me. It _really __did." _He said with a sigh.

"Bill..." Ford muttered. "I had no idea that what you did in Crestfallen Cavern was because of _this_. Had I known you felt that your trust in me was betrayed, we could have talked about it." He pointed out.

"Yeah, well, we didn't." Bill reminded. "My fault, I get it. I could have barged in on the two of ya', but Pine Tree didn't like it when I had done that once when I caught him kissing his pillow." He said with a simple shrug, not bothered by the fact that he had just given away something Dipper had likely wished for him to have kept secret, let alone to the author.

Ford bit back a snicker and looked away. Bill raised an eyebrow. "What?" He asked. "What's so funny?"

"It's nothing," Ford assured. He looked back at the other and adjusted his glasses. "Continue." He beckoned.

"Of course after we came back from the cavern, you were upset." Bill proceeded. "And I don't blame ya'! Honestly, I felt like an idiot after finding out that I was wrong. But regardless of how I was feeling, I tried to talk to you about it, thinking we could get some form of an understanding going. Ya' know?" He said. "And you didn't want to. You told me that I had to redeem myself before.." Bill continued, stopping slightly.

"Before?" Ford repeated as if it were a question.

"You tell me," Bill said with a shrug. "You never finished your sentence, and you brushed it all off like it was nothing." He said. "But even though you_ didn't_ finish, I had a pretty good idea of what you meant." He stated. "So then I figured, why not do something to redeem myself?" He continued. "I tried a lot of different things, hoping _maybe_ you'd be less upset at me. I reunited Soos' family by trying to bring Melody back to life. False alarm or not, I tried driving a _car, _thinking your niece's life was in danger, and sacrificed my own for hers." He reminded. "I'm sorry about the car and all, but wouldn't you have done the same thing for the kid?" He asked.

"Well... If I didn't have my vascular-organ resuscitator, I suppose so." Ford muttered.

Bill gave a long blink at this before continuing. "And about those cookies- I _wasn't_ trying to kill you. I_ really wasn't." _He stated truthfully. "I-I must have mixed up the sugar with the salt on accident, I was just trying to do something... _nice."_ Bill said, the last word making him cringe slightly as it slipped off his tongue.

Ford hummed. "Well, this is all a bit more understandable now that it was explained more thoroughly." He said with a slow nod of his head.

"You're still mad, huh?" Bill asked, tilting his head.

"A bit," Ford admitted. He looked at the other man. "But my eyes have opened now that you explained your reasoning for doing all of these things." He said.

Bill narrowed his eyes ever so slightly at Ford, surprised and confused at the response. "...And you don't think I'm lying?" He asked. "Isn't that your first instinct?"

"I see no possible reason on how you could be lying here, Bill." Ford answered. "It all makes too much sense. And after seeing these recent events..." He continued in a mutter, his eyes being draw down to the dagger on the cold floor. He was quick to look back at Bill before his mind could fill with heartbreaking thoughts. "It's too real to be made up." He said.

Bill gave a slow nod to this. Slowly, he bent down to the floor, grabbing the dagger and standing up once more. He looked at Ford with the sharp blade in his left hand. "So... Should I still just-?" He began to question. He was taken by surprise when Ford extended his arm out and grabbed hold of the dagger, holding it up beside him and throwing it across the room with force. However by the look Ford gave Bill as he threw the dagger, his throw looked gentle and easy.

Bill's eyes widened when he heard a large shatter. He turned his head to see that the portal rooms glass window had been shattered by the sharp blade. Ford didn't take his eyes off Bill during the moment. Instead, he put his hands on Bill's hips. Bill looked back and gasped when Ford pulled him close. He looked up at the scientist with his lips parted, raising an eyebrow. "Wh-?" He tried to question.

_"No," _Ford said in a firm manner. "Bill Cipher, I _never _want you to take such actions. I don't want you to do so much as _consider _it." He said. "You don't understand just how I see you. You're as special as a diamond, and yet rough as a saw. You could catch the eye of any onlooker, and strike them in awe. You-"

"Wait, wait," Bill interrupted. "Are you _rhyming_ to me now?" He asked. Though he found this unusual and very unlike Ford to do, a part of him found it nice. He began to understand why humans found rhymes to be nice. Then again, Bill may have just appreciated the words because they were about him. He couldn't quite tell.

Ford shrugged at Bill's question. "I would rhyme to you all day if it kept you from going away." He said in a low, hushed tone. He glanced at Bill's parted lips. He very much wished to lean in a bit to claim the other man's lips, but _no. _He was sure that Bill was still upset at him after his recent careless actions. If he were to kiss him, Bill would likely grow upset and distance himself away from him. He just hoped that Bill didn't know that he was trying to move on, because he was having second thoughts about his plan of doing so. If he still cared for Bill, and he had made false assumptions about several things Bill had done, he saw no need to distance in such a cruel manner. He felt like kicking himself for being so harsh with Bill recently.

Bill looked at Ford with both shock and longing in his eyes. The way Ford had changed the way he spoke and looked at Bill so suddenly was admittedly a bit strange, however Bill would be lying if he said that he didn't like the gestures. He had a sudden desire to put his hands on Ford's shoulders and just kiss him already. Regardless of how much the feeling nagged at him, he ignored it. Bill knew that if he were to pull such a move, Ford would likely scold him for it, and their progress of bonding once more would be severed. He knew that Ford was trying to move on, after all.

With the fact that both Ford and Bill assumed the other didn't wish to give or receive such actions, they just stood still, looking at each other with hidden longing. Ford's hands remained on Bill's hips, whereas Bill kept his hands frozen atop the scientists chest. Neither Bill nor Ford knew that their desires in this very moment were equal. And they did nothing more than the gesture they were sharing now.

"Well..." Bill muttered after a while, pulling away slightly. Ford cleared his throat and took his hands off the other, putting them behind his back instead. Bill turned to look at the elevator, then at Ford. "I guess I should go back upstairs and unwillingly lay awake all night until ol' Stano makes me work in the morning." He said, pointing his thumb behind him before turning around to walk off.

Ford frowned. He watched Bill take a couple steps away, his heart stinging. By the way Bill looked with his half-lidded eyes and eyebags, Ford wasn't sure if the demon would be able to function with another restless night. Before Ford could stop himself, he took a step forward and put a hand on Bill's shoulder.

"Wait," Ford blurted out suddenly. Bill turned his head to look at the man and raised an eyebrow in confusion. Ford looked back at Bill and opened his mouth to speak, however no words came out. There was a moment of silence, which has gotten awkward quick.

Bill tilted his head. "What?" He asked in a monotone-type voice.

_"Please stay," _Ford had the strength to request. He saw the confused look Bill gave him. He wasn't sure if it was a look of disgust the other was giving, or his tiredness making his emotions appear different. Ford took his hand off Bill's shoulder and scratched the back of his neck, looking away awkwardly. "I-If you'd like to, that is." He said.

"Stay?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why?" He asked.

"Well," Ford began, taking in a deep breath before speaking. "The thought of losing you is deeply horrifying. I truly don't want it to happen. And if you were to stay here, that _wouldn't_ happen, because I would be here." He said. "I can't afford to lose you, Bill. I would never want to have to face something like that. And I will do _everything _in my power to protect you." He added with a gentle yet firm tone.

Bill just looked at Stanford for a moment. He still wore a look of confusion, even after the explanation had been given. Bill looked over in the direction of the laboratory's bedroom, and back at Ford once more. "Do ya' mean...?" He began in a hesitant manner, speaking as if it were a question.

Ford's cheeks burned red. He looked down at the floor with his hands behind his back, not knowing how to respond to the remark. He felt like an idiot for proposing such a thing. Though he figured perhaps Bill would feel sleep could come easier if he felt safe and had less on his conscience, Ford wondered if it would have been better to just let the man go back upstairs. He wondered if asking something so unusual of Bill was out of line, hence their current situation.

"...I guess so." Bill answered in more of a mutter. He did in fact find it a tad unusual for the human to request something like this, however Bill couldn't find a good reason to deny the opportunity. It was times like these where Bill wished he could read Ford's mind. He wished to know how Ford truly felt about him. Stanford saying that he loved him was one thing, however Bill wasn't sure if he could see the statement as truthful after Ford had also called him a monster an hour earlier.

* * *

Mabel was upstairs in her bedroom, the only light lighting the room being the triangular window. She had rewrapped the sweater she and Bill had created for Ford, however since Ford and Bill had not come out of the laboratory before bedtime, she had to keep it in her room to give to her uncle in the morning. She turned around in her bed, seeing Dipper fast asleep with a blanket overtop him. She gave a small smile at how peaceful her brother seemed. Mabel, however, wasn't filled with that same joy.

Mabel turned back around towards the wall and pulled a pink blanket overtop herself, looking at the wood as she pondered deep thought. The fact that her matchmaking skills had failed her during the attempts to get Ford and Bill together and happy gave her a sad feeling. She began to wonder if she was never a very good matchmaker in the first place. Mabel had tried a variety of things to get the two to express their love, yet nothing has seemed to work. If anything, she had only made things worse. She hadn't meant harm, she just wanted the two to be happy. Mabel was afraid that she had messed all of that up now.

_I'm so sorry Bill... _Mabel thought to herself. She felt that she was responsible for most of this. She used to think that Bill wasn't the type to fall in love. Sure, she had carried confidence that in time Bill could learn to love those around him, however he had seemed to skip that step for most people.

Mabel felt terrible for messing up Bill's first potential experience of love for a human. She thought that it would have been nice to see Bill happy. Based on things he had gone through before taking his human form, it seemed as if Bill hadn't had anyone who loved him in quite a long time.

"I guess I'm not a good matchmaker after all..." Mabel muttered to herself, snuggling up in her bed and burying half her face in her pillow as a tear rolled down her cheek. She always carried hope, however when both Ford and Bill had tried to deny their feelings for the other, Mabel looked back at that and wondered if neither of them _wanted _any form of a relationship. How could the love be true if she was forcing it so much?

_I'm sorry..._

* * *

Ford entered the laboratory bedroom after he had put away a couple of things such as papers and pens that had been left out. He had taken his lab coat off before he had come into the room, his maroon turtleneck still being worn. He walked over to see Bill already under the covers, facing away from his side. Ford walked over to the right side of the bed and removed his boots before getting underneath the covers. Ford took off his glasses, placing them on the nightstand. He extended an arm out to turn off the lamp lighting the room until he heard a voice call out to him.

"Sixer?" Bill began, still facing the other direction. Ford raised an eyebrow. He grabbed his glasses and put them back on before turnng around, looking at the other man who had his back turned to him. Ford didn't say anything, however Bill could tell that he had his attention. "I didn't mean to make you worried. I figured that it was what you had wanted and... I just ended up going for it. I wasn't trying to be even _more_ of an issue. I'll leave you alone from now on." He muttered, scooting closer to the edge of the bed.

Ford gave a small frown at the words. Just by taking one look at where Bill was currently laying, he could tell that the demon was bound to fall any moment now.

"You're not an issue, Bill," Ford responded in a calm manner. "But if you move any closer to the edge, you're going to fall off the bed." He said. Ford extended an arm out, wrapping it around Bill's torso and moving him a bit closer, at least to where Bill didn't face the danger of falling into the hard floor. Bill looked down at his waist as he felt himself being pulled slightly, and looked at Ford with a raised eyebrow. Ford cleared his throat awkwardly and looked away. "Sorry." He muttered, extending his arm out once more to shut off the light. Bill grabbed hold of Ford's shoulder before the lamp could be shut off.

Stanford froze for a moment and looked behind him to look at Bill. The blonde looked hesitant to speak, so Ford gave him a minute. Bill looked back at the man and asked, "Can... You leave the light on?"

Ford gave a small chuckle to this. The thought of Bill requesting for the light to stay on reminded him of Stanley when he would ask their Ma to keep the light on in fear of ghosts out to get him back when they were but five years old. Ford gave a nod. "Yes, I can keep it on." He said, taking his hand away from the lamp and instead turning his body towards Bill. "Is there a reason?" He asked out of mere curiosity.

Bill sighed and snuggled his face against his pillow, giving a slight shrug. "I just don't want you to disappear." He said in a whisper, closing his eyes.

Ford gave a warm smile at this. The words replayed in his head, and he was quick to realize just how silly the sentence could sound. He couldn't hold back a snicker that escaped his lips. Bill heard the faint laughter and opened his eyes with a glare.

"What's so funny _now?"_ Bill asked, unamused.

"Nothing, nothing," Ford assured, still chuckling. "You're just cute." He said. His eyes widened in horror the moment He realized what he had just said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. _"Cute?" _He repeated, almost sounding offended by the way he had repeated the word.

Ford bit his lip and and scrambled to make an attempt to explain. "Wh- Wha-? No, y-you're not cute. I-I mean, you _are _cu- I... I-It's just a human expression." He tried, giving an awkward smile that was the least bit convincing.

Bill thought nothing of this. He merely shrugged. "Whatever, Sixer. You can save your strange explanations for some other time." He said before putting an arm under his pillow, closing his eyes once more. Ford sighed and mirrored Bill's actions, placing one arm underneath his pillow and laying on his side. The two laid in silence for a couple minutes, neither man saying a word. Bill opened his eyes after a moment and noticed that Ford's glasses were still on his face. Bill scooted a bit closer to Stanford, extending the arm that wasn't under his pillow out to grab his glasses. Ford opened his eyes at this in confusion.

"You forgot to take your glasses off." Bill reminded, taking the glasses off Ford's face. He handed them towards Ford.

"Oh," Ford blurted out. "I suppose I did." He said, folding them and placing them behind him on the nightstand. He turned back to face Bill and adjusted himself to a comfortable position, ending up a bit closer to Bill now. The blonde didn't seem to mind or notice, as his eyes were closed once more. Ford looked at Bill for a moment and noticed a blonde piece of hair dangling over his eyes rather than with the rest of his hair. Ford moved his hand up to Bill's face, taking his index and first middle finger to move the hair away from Bill's eyes, tucking it by the rest of his hair. Bill shifted at the touch and opened his eyes slowly, only to see that Ford's eyes were shut once more.

Bill looked at Ford's hair as it moved slightly along with his slow breaths. Bill was tempted to touch the fluffy, grey hair. He suddenly found the fluff to be irresistible. Bill gave in to his sudden desires and moved his pillow close to Ford's, taking a big move towards Stanford. The two were close now. Bill put a hand up slightly and ran a hand through Ford's hair. The man seemed to notice, though he only opened his eyes for an approximation of two seconds before closing them once more. He figured he would let Bill have his fun.

Bill smiled. It wasn't often that he gave off a true smile, however this was becoming one of those uncommon times. After a bit, Ford pushed Bill's hand out of the way, only to return the gesture and run his fingers through Bill's hair. Bill gave an inaudible sigh and leaned into the touch, scooting a bit closer. Ford and Bill were very close now, however neither seemed to care. They were lost in each other's eyes at this point. Bill took a risky move and wrapped his arms around Ford's neck, leaning in and resting his face atop Ford's shoulder. The scientist wasn't sure how to return the gesture, so he put his arms around Bill's torso and pulled him close, their chests up against each other.

Ford was taken aback when he suddenly felt a strange rubbing feeling on his face. He raised an eyebrow at this. "What are you doing?" He asked.

"I like the stubble." Bill answered with a light chuckle, proceeding to rub his cheek against Ford's. Stanford rolled his eyes, but didn't pull away. He ran slow circles on Bill's back using one hand. Bill moved towards Ford's chin, pushing against it with his own ever so slightly. Their lips unintentionally brushed against each other during the moment, causing both of them to freeze awkwardly. Their noses were touching now, but they both stayed still as they were unsure how the other would react to the accidental gesture.

Ford moved his head to the side a bit after a moment of silence. Bill had assumed that Ford had come closer for a kiss and leaned in to the other man. Ford, however, was surprised that Bill was taking such a move. He returned the affectionate gesture and met Bill's lips with his own, the two shutting their eyes as they shared a long, slow kiss. Bill was surprised that Ford had wanted this nearly as much as he did, whereas Ford was shocked that Bill had still felt the same about him even after the events of that day. They pulled away for a short moment, only to go back for a second kiss that was equally as long as the first. Slow kisses were a bit strange to Bill, being that he was the type that preferred deeper, more consistent kisses. Then again, he was just glad that they shared similar affection.

The third kiss was a bit quicker, only lasting a few seconds. The next was faster, _hungrier. _In just a matter of moments, t he two began attacking each other's lips with a quick force they both seemed to crave. Bill leaned closer to the other man, only for Stanford to interlock their hands together, pushing back. Bill was taken by surprise when he was pushed slightly, his head hitting his pillow as his back lay flat against the bed. Ford lay atop Bill and looked into the demons eyes. Just one look at Bill showed that his eyes shined with desire. With that, Ford pinned Bill's hands against the bed, teasing the demons bottom lip for a brief moment before kissing the man once more. Bill lifted his chin up in attempt to make the kiss deeper. Ford understood and waited a moment before slipping his tongue in to deepen the kiss.

Bill released a moan at the pleasurable contact and increased his grip on Ford's hands. The scientist slowed slightly after feeling the tight grip, softening his kisses in fear that he had hurt the man. He knew that Bill didn't have much experience with kissing, after all. Bill smirked at how easily Ford had fallen for his trick and wrapped a leg around Ford to catch the man off guard. Ford reacted in a confused manner, all according to plan. He was quick to flip Ford over, Bill gaining dominance now. Ford put both his hands on the back of Bill's head as the other put his arms on Ford's chest. By the emotions they both showed when they kissed, Bill could tell that what was happening was real. He _hadn't _fallen asleep. Based on the way they kissed, Bill could sense the desperation they both showed. They _both _wanted this, they were craving it.

After a moment of kissing, Bill pulled away. Ford made a sound of confusion at this and looked at the other man. Bill sat up on his knees and grabbed hold of his shirt. He lifted the garment up and off his torso, tossing it to the floor below him. Ford's eyes widened at this, and Bill made eye contact with him before meeting back with his lips once more.

It was at this moment that Ford realized just what Bill wanted. It was unfortunate that Stanford knew he wouldn't be able to treat his beloved with such intimacy. With the scars Ford wore... He knew that Bill would never look at him the same if his eyes were to look upon them. Ford could feel Bill's hands lifting his sweater up. Ford was quick to pull it back down, winding his fingers together with Bill's as to not make the blonde suspicious. Bill didn't seem to notice and allowed Ford to flip him on his back again.

Bill's arms were laid lazily above his head as he looked at Ford, whom had ceased kissing. The two took a moment to catch their breath, breathing heavily. After a few moments, their breath became steady once more. Hesitantly, Ford put his hands on the sides of Bill's waist just above his hips. He wasn't sure if what he was doing was right, and looked up at Bill in unsureness.

"I-Is this okay?" Ford asked, his hands trembling slightly.

Bill looked down at the man's hands, and back up at Ford. He gave the scientist a nod of consent. Bill arched his back in pure bliss and tilted his head up as he felt the other man's hands crawling up his torso. Ford's hands went up the demon until he reached his face. Ford cupped his cheeks in his hands and lifted Bill's head up slightly, the two sharing a slow kiss once more. Ford had a desperate want to kiss Bill. To kiss him like there would be no 'next time', and no tomorrow. He wanted the other to feel loved if the feelings were true. Ford would have never forgiven himself had he let Bill die. Ford planted kisses along the side of Bill's neck, which the blonde seemed to react well to. Bill tried grabbing Ford's sweater a second time as Ford proceeded to think to himself. For a brief moment he considered letting the demon take the garment off and risk facing the judgement. Ford ignored this thought and gently smacked Bill's hands away. Bill got the hint and wrapped his arms around Ford's neck.

After a bit more time of passionate kisses, Bill and Ford were back on their sides, heads against the pillows as they kissed slow just like they had in the beginning. The two pulled away and looked at each other in pleasure and satisfaction.

"I'm sorry." Bill muttered suddenly.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Sorry?" He repeated. "Sorry for what?"

Bill could only shrug. "I'm not very good at that kind of thing." He admitted. "So I probably did it wrong." He said.

Ford gave a light chuckle and shook his head. Bill noticed this and raised an eyebrow. "No, Bill," Ford began. "You didn't do anything wrong." He assured.

"That doesn't mean I did everything right." Bill said with an eye roll.

"I've had a few experiences with this type of thing and I'm _still_ clueless." Ford said with another chuckle. "I wouldn't stress it too much."

Ford lay atop his back, proping his head up slightly with his pillow and putting a hand underneath his head. Bill hesitantly leaned close to the man, scooting over and putting his arms around the scientists torso. He laid his head atop Ford's chest, releasing a sigh.

"Sixer?" Bill muttered, looking up at the other man. Bill had Ford's attention, and laid his head back on Ford's chest before continuing. "Did you mean it when..." He began hesitantly. He had second thoughts about asking the question, but figured it was for the best that he know. "Did you mean it when you called me a monster?"

Ford's heart stung at the question. He remembered that he _had _in fact called Bill as such, and regretted yet another one of his few careless words he had spoken to Bill. He felt a wave of guilt at knowing that Bill had truly pondered the question and let it get to him.

Ford wrapped his spare arm around Bill's shirtless torso. Bill looked up at him with a frown on his face, a hint of sadness in his eyes. "No," Ford answered. "I didn't mean it. I'm so sorry for saying you were. You've changed, and all of that was blocked in my mind when we were arguing. I'm sorry for calling you a monster, and I'm sorry for bringing up Weirdmageddon." He said.

Bill gave a slow nod to this. He was convinced that Ford meant his apology, and was sure that the human _had _only said those things earlier hence the heat of the moment. Bill gave another sigh and buried his face in Ford's clothed chest. They laid in silence for a bit, until another question came to Bill's mind.

"Ford?" Bill addressed. Stanford was taken by surprise that Bill had used a name he didn't often call him, and looked at the other man with a tilted head. "You said something earlier... Something about scars?" Bill reminded.

"What?" Ford blurted out. He didn't remember mentioning his scars. He thought that he had kept that information to himself during the conversation, how could Bill have possibly figured out? "I didn't bring up anything about scars during the argument." He stated.

"Not the argument," Bill said with a shake of his head. "It was... It was..." He muttered, trying to recall. "Huh, I actually don't remember. Weird." He said, snuggling up against Ford.

"Well, now I wonder," Ford began. "Could this be telepathy? Telepathical signals from the mind?" Ford asked, mainly to himself. "Perhaps it could be prediction of the conversation based off future events? Anything could be possible in this situation, it's unfortunate that we can't very well test it. I wonder if it somehow had been..." He continued, until he looked down at Bill. The blonde's eyes were closed, and Ford noticed that Bill was sleeping soundly atop his chest. He was surprised that he had been able to fall asleep so quickly. Then again, Bill was incredibly tired. Ford sighed at this and gave a small smile, shutting his eyes after a bit in hopes of drifting off to sleep. After a couple minutes, Ford too had fallen asleep.

_It was strange, the situation Ford was now in. He opened his eyes and looked around to see that he was in the living room. Standing up. How had he gotten here so quickly, and where had he been before? It took him a moment, until past thoughts came flooding back._

_"Bill?" Ford called out. He received no answer. "Bill, where are you?" He asked. Still, no answer from the man._

_"He's not here..." Ford heard someone call out. The voice was soft and feminine. And... Sad? He looked down by the floor over by the 'Employees only' __door to see Mabel there, sobbing. She was in the same position she had been earlier in the day when he had confronted Mabel. Ford wondered if this was reality, and if what had happened earlier had only been a daydream._

_"Mabel, sweetie?" Ford addressed, walking over to his niece. He put a hand on the girls shoulder, getting down on one knee. "What's the matter?" He asked._

_"I... I tried to save him..." Mabel said. She sharply turned her head around and sobbed a fresh wave of tears at her uncle. Ford gave a look of absolute horror. Not because of the girls tears. No, Ford would be trying to comfort his niece if the situation was different. Mabel's hands were coated with blood_, _as well as the side of her face. __The front of her sweater was soaked in the liquid. She released a short sob before saying, "I-I tried to save him... From __you."_

_Ford was both horrified and confused at the situations unfolding before her eyes. Save him? Save who? Could she potentially be talking about-_

_Oh no._

_"Mabel dear, what is this all about?" Ford questioned in a firm manner._

_Mabel scoffed. "Wouldn't you like to know?" She said with a cold glare._

_Ford shifted slightly. "Yes, that's why I asked." He said._ _He found it unusual that his niece spoke in such a tone and _knew _that something was wrong. _

_Mabel's glare turned into a frown once more, and before she knew it, she was crying again. Ford didn't know how to comfort the girl. Could he even do so? Regardless, he wasn't sure if Mabel was going to answer his question unless he asked again._

_"Mabel," Ford began __a second time._

_Mabel glared at Stanford once more. Except her eyes weren't normal. Instead, they were red with white slit pupils. Ford's eyes widened at this, and he backed up a bit, standing up now. The figure of Mabel stood up in unison with Ford, staring up into his chocolate brown eyes. Ford had learned to push away severe fear in the multiverse, but this... This was unlike anything he had ever faced before. _

_"Well, well well!" The figure of Mabel spoke. The voice sounded like Bill, and carried an echo. "You were just _begging _for this to happen, weren't you?" He asked._

_"Bill!" Ford exclaimed, his fists clenching. "What- how- w-why are-" he tried, however he couldn't find that words came easily to him._

_"And _boy, _am I glad you were!" Bill exclaimed with a grin. He seemed glad, however his (Or, Mabel's, rather) eyes were still red, pure rage behind them. "Thanks to your considerate encouragement, I was able to get back to normal! I've gotta hand it to ya', Ford, you really knew how to set me free, didn't ya'?"_

_"Set you free?" Ford repeated in a mutter. He raised his voice. "Bill, this isn't what I wanted!" He exclaimed._

_"Oh, how right you are, Fordsy!" Bill cooed with a grin. That mischievous grin... Plastered along his nieces face. It was too horrifying. "Back when I was human, your plan all along was to keep me trapped in that pathetic fleshy form. You wanted nothing more than to keep me far away from regaining my full potential! Well, look at me now, Stanford!" Bill exclaimed with a wide grin. The room let out a wave of grey as the demon flew up from out of Mabel's body. Ford gasped and caught Mabel before she could fall onto the wooden floor of the living room. The living room turned back to its original colors, however Bill was still floating in the air. His regular, triangular form present. A form Ford thought he would never have to see again. _

_"I won't let you harm my family." Ford bellowed, motioning to his niece that currently lay unconscious in his arms._

_"Don't you worry about that, Sixer!" Bill said, "I wouldn't hurt a hair on Shooting Stars tiny little head." He assured. "But it's cold of you to request me not harming them when you were the one who harmed me." Bill added._

_"What are you talking about?" Ford asked._

_"Well, why don't I explain?" Bill said. A black cane appeared, and he spun it around a couple of times before hitting it against the Tv. The television buzzed strangely. Ford carried Mabel bridal style in his arms and gently set her down on the couch. He looked at the screen and blocked his nieces view in case she were to wake up. _

_Before the Televison screen could play, he was sent to a strange place. Everything was pitch black. His surroundings became a dark grey, and after a bit he could tell that he was inside a dark room. He looked in front of him as a bright spotlight type light shined directly on a scene to where Ford could see Dipper on his knees_.

_"Dipper?" Ford called out. He rushed over to his nephew in confusion._

_"I can't believe it..." Dipper spoke aloud. He turned around to look at Ford. "You killed him." He said._

_Ford already knew where this was going. "N-no, Dipper, please listen to me. I didn't-"_

_"You finally killed him." Dipper continued. His tone of voice was monotone, however he had a hint of relief in his voice._

_"Dipper, don't speak like this." Ford commanded in a firm tone. He clenched his fists. "Let it be known that I-"_

_"When did you do it?" Dipper asked. He stood up and walked over to his uncle. "More importantly... _why _did you do it?" He wondered._

_Ford gave a small glare. "Mason Pines, let me speak-" He tried to no avail._

_"I wonder..." Dipper began. "I wonder if this was your plan all along." He said with a simple shrug. "You _are _the family genius, after all." _

_"Dipper!" Ford shouted. "Stop this at once!"_

_"Stop, you say?" A familiar grumbly voice repeated from behind asked. Ford turned around to see a light set above a figure of his brother. Stan adjusted his fez hat and put his one hand on his hip. He held his other hand up and balled it into a fist. On command, the light shining on Stan disappeared. Ford turned around, looking over at the light that had previously been shining on Dipper. Except it was not a figure of his nephew anymore, no._

_But rather... A figure of Bill. He was human, just like before. The room around them lit up just a bit more, and Ford could tell that he was in the laboratory now. Bill held the dagger up to his chest and looked at Ford with a grin. In Stanley's voice, Bill said, "I can make it stop." And looked back at the dagger he held close to him__, watching as the dagger he held impaled him._

Ford gasped sharply. "Bill!" He whisper-shouted, sitting up a bit. His eyes squinted at the room being dimly lit, yet bright enough For Stanford's eyes to hurt. He looked down at his chest to see Bill still fast asleep, curled up slightly and snuggling against him. He shifted slightly at the sudden movement Ford had made, and stopped after a couple of seconds. Ford sighed in relief at the sight of Bill still there, unharmed and sleeping. In hopes that it would bring comfort to him, Ford put a hand up to Bill's head, running a hand through his blonde hair gently. Bill gave a soft moan at the gentle touch, and buried his face in Ford's chest.

Ford tightened his hold on Bill with the hand that was overtop him in a protective manner. Nothing in the universe was going to take Bill away from him. He wouldn't let it happen. And he wouldn't let anyone or anything hurt him.

Not now, not _ever. _

**I hope you liked this chapter! Originally, it was going to be longer, but if I did that, the chapter would be over 12k words. So instead, I'm ending it here so that I'll have time to write a one shot, and have part of the next chapter already written.**

**So, there was romance. Heh. Hehe... Um, I'm not sure if it's too M-rated? If you think it's too much, feel free to tell me so that I can either change it a bit or just give this story an M rating. I'll probably go with the first option. And as for the horror, there will be more of that to come. Well, sort of. It's hard to explain. Speaking of explanations, would you like Ford to bring up the dream a bit more in the next chapter, or have him just pass it in his mind as a frightening nightmare? I'm fine with either outcome, I just haven't decided yet. **

**(Was... was the horror even good? I have no clue. xD) **

**The next chapter will be the twins' last day in Gravity Falls for their first half of summer before they have to return back to California for the rest of it. **

**The next chapter will be up next week! **


	45. A Scientists Secrets

**Oh boy... I wanted this out two days ago. Luckily it wasn't made three. It's_ just barely_ two days late. **

**Here is chapter 45 of "Welcome Home"! **

Morning came by after several hours. Ford had opted to stay up reading the rest of the night as to not face having another terrible dream. Was it just a dream? Or was it one of the longer lasting dreams he had been in? No, that couldn't be. One glance at the clock told him that only an hour had gone by when he had woken up from his dream. It didn't feel like an hour. Ford could still remember what happened in his dream. He wasn't sure if it was because he was _supposed _to remember, or if the dream was just too horrifying for him to forget.

When Ford had sat up after his dream, he had placed his pillows behind his back. He was still slanted, but he wasn't laying down. Ford had gone through two books so far, and was on his last one that he had kept by his nightstand now. With his emergency stash of jellybeans from in his nightstand drawer as well as books to keep him amused, he was prepared to stay by Bill as he rested peacefully atop his chest. Even though eight hours had gone by, Ford was sure that Bill would sleep in. The blonde needed as much rest as he could get.

Four more hours went by, and Bill finally woke up. His eyes fluttered open, and he was confused as to where he was. He lifted his face up slightly to notice the familiar maroon turtleneck that he had been laying on. It could only belong to one person. He looked up to see Ford reading a book.

"Sixer," Bill mumbled in a tired manner, rubbing an eye with one arm whilst he supported himself up slightly with the other.

Ford took his eyes off the book and set it on the nightstand when he realized Bill had woken up. "Oh, good. You're awake." He said.

"What.. time is it?" Bill asked, his eyes still adjusting to the light.

"A bit past noon," Ford answered.

Bill gave a small smirk. "I slept that long, huh?" He asked. Ford nodded, and Bill groaned. "I'm still tired." He pouted.

"Well, you slept for a bit over twelve hours, I think that's plenty of rest to last you through today." Ford said with a shrug.

"Twelve hours..." Bill mumbled, laying atop Ford's chest once more. "Noon... " He proceeded to mutter. Bill shut his eyes for a total of five seconds before they opened wide. Bill gasped sharply and shot up, sitting on his knees as he looked at the clock.

"Holy crackers!" Bill exclaimed.

Ford looked at Bill in confusion. "What, what is it?" He asked.

Bill looked at him with fear in his eyes. "It's noon!" He said, putting his hands on Ford's shoulders.

"Yes, we covered this." Ford confirmed with a nod of his head.

"You don't understand! I'm supposed to be working! Your brother is gonna _kill me!" _Bill said, his eyes remaining wide.

Ford just rolled his eyes. "Bill, everything will be _fine." _He assured. "Now why don't you go upstairs and brush your teeth? Oral hygiene is important." He said.

Bill huffed. "Don't blame me when Fez comes asking where I've been." He grumbled, getting off the bed and walking towards the door.

Ford watched him leave until he noticed that Bill was still shirtless. "Wait, Bill! You forgot your-" He tried, however it was no use. Bill hadn't heard him and had already left the room.

"Shirt." Ford finished unnecessarily. He sighed and got off the bed, stretching a bit and opting to start his daily workout routine now that Bill had left the room.

* * *

Bill came up from the laboratory and opened the laboratory door. There were customers in the gift shop, and Bill was quick to shut it before the tourists could see the secret entrance. Stan, however, noticed his presence and walked up to him with a glare.

"You're late." Stan grumbled. He was upset that Bill hadn't been to work on time, but a part of him had assumed that perhaps he wouldn't have shown up for work at _all. _Stanley wouldn't admit it, but he was glad to see that Bill was okay. He looked less tired, however his black eye was still apparent. Stan noticed that the demon was shirtless and raised an eyebrow. "And where's your shirt?" He asked. "People aren't gonna pay to see you shirtless." He stated.

Stan felt a finger tap his back. He turned around and saw a woman with a camera. "Excuse me, sir? How much did you say it was for a photo of that shirtless man?" She asked.

Stan was surprised. Regardless, he wore a large grin. "Ten bucks!" He said. "Na-no, a'hundred bucks." He corrected with a smirk.

Bill gave a look of unease. "Are you using my flawless looks for money?" He asked.

Stan laughed as the woman took a photo. "Sure am!" He said. Stan snatched the photo from the woman's hand and looked at it. "Hey, hey! You've got an eye for angles there, lady!" Stan praised. He looked at her with a bland look directly after giving the compliment. "Now pay up." He commanded.

Bill took a couple steps behind him and walked through the 'Employees only' door backwards. He was in the living room now, and the moment he turned around he saw Mabel on the couch.

Mabel gasped. "Bill, there you are!" She said. "I was looking everywhere for you, where were you?" She asked.

"In the laboratory bedroom with Sixer." Bill answered.

"And... Where did your shirt go?" Mabel questioned.

"In the laboratory bedroom with Sixer." Bill answered again.

"Oh," Mabel said, a bit confused. She thought about it for a moment and gasped, a look of horror on her face. _"Ah!__" _She exclaimed, shaking her head frantically. "No, no, ew!" She said, putting her hands over her eyes. She cursed her overly imaginative brain and continued to shake her head. She wished not to think about her uncle and Bill doing such intimate things with each other.

"What?" Bill questioned, tilting his head. He realized what he had said and shook his head. "No, nothing like _that, _Shooting Star!" He assured.

"Are you sure?" Mabel asked, taking her hands away from her eyes slowly.

"I'm sure." Bill confirmed. Mabel sighed in relief and took her hands away from her eyes. Mabel looked as if she were about to speak but before she did, Bill said, "But I would if he asked."

Mabel looked at Bill and cringed, looking away. "Ew, that's weird!" She said.

_"Oh, _and I'm not?" Bill responded with a smirk.

Mabel groaned in disgust, until remembering the reason she was looking for the man. "Wait!" She said, a large smile on her face. She ran off upstairs to get the wrapped sweater from in her room. when she rushed back downstairs, Bill looked at her in confusion.

"What is it, kid?" Bill asked.

"I know you told me to give this to Grunkle Ford, but..," Mabel began, holding the rewrapped sweater she held behind her back in front of Bill. "I couldn't find a good chance, so..."

Bill sighed. "Look Shooting Star, I didn't mean to yell like that the other day." He said. "I was mad at Sixer, not you." He explained.

"Is he still mad?" Mabel asked.

Bill hummed and shook his head. "I don't think so. He understood my reasons for doing all that I've done recently once he let actually me explain." He said.

"So... do you think the matchmaking is still possible?" Mabel asked.

Bill hummed. He opted not to tell Mabel about the makeout after figuring that Mabel was too innocent to know such things. He gave a slow nod of his head. "Ya' know kid, it just might." He said.

Mabel gasped at this. "Really?" She asked with a wide grin. "Oh my gosh, you have to tell me everything! My ship needs to sail!" She exclaimed.

"Ship needs ta'..." Bill muttered to himself in complete confusion. _"What?" _He asked, narrowing his eyes in confusion.

Mabel just giggled. "It's nothing." She assured. "Dipper and I are going home today, we need to spend as much time as possible with each other!" She said, pulling on Bill's arm and guiding him outside. Bill was about to protest, however he figured that spending time with the girl for a bit would be fine. He didn't mind skipping work. Stan would tell Bill that skipping would come out of his paycheck. This didn't bother Bill, as he wasn't paid for working at the gift shop in the first place.

* * *

Around 5:49 in the afternoon, the twins only had an hour left to stay at the shack before they had to head to the bus stop. Mabel and Bill (who had gotten his shirt back and wore it once again) both came back from outside after an afternoon of playing. Dipper had joined them at one point, and while he wasn't too fond of Bill playing along with, he did enjoy the company of another person.

Mabel and Bill looked around the house, trying to find Ford. Mabel held the wrapped sweater in her hands as they looked around the house. They couldn't find Ford anywhere. They had checked every room except the laboratory.

"Are you sure we should go down there, Bill?" Mabel asked. " Grunkle Ford doesn't like it when we go to the lab without him knowing."

Bill gave a nod. "You're right. We should just stay as far away from the lab as possible and forget about it!" He said in a sarcastic manner. "Kid, if he lets someone like _me _go down there, he should let family down there, too." He stated.

Mabel hummed at this. "Well... You do make a good point." She said. With that, the two headed down to the laboratory. They descended the stairs and headed towards the elevator. Mabel made sure to press the button.

"Do ya' think Sixer will like it?" Bill asked.

"I'm sure he'll love it!" Mabel said with a grin. She handed the wrapped package to Bill. "I know it's from both of us, but you can take the credit if you want." Mabel offered with a simple shrug.

"No way!" Bill retorted. He was flattered that the girl was willing to let him take the credit for _their _work, however even he could sense that it would be unfair to Mabel if she were to be out of the picture on the project. Not that Bill would admit he felt like that, of course. "Fordsy wouldn't believe me for a split _second _if I told him that." He stated.

"Sure he would!" Mabel tried.

Bill shook his head. "Shooting Star, I can't even make _cookie dough _right. Ya' really think he'll believe that I made this all by myself?" He asked.

Mabel just looked away. She didn't want to admit that he was correct, as she didn't want to hurt the man's feelings. She smiled when the elevator stopped. "Go on!" Mabel encouraged Bill, pointing her arms at the laboratory. Bill shifted slightly, but came out of the elevator, Mabel trailing behind him.

Ford was at the desk over by the portal window. The glass from the previously shattered window was still broken, however the broken glass scattered around had been cleaned up and discarded of. Mabel saw the shattered glass and grew confused. She wondered just _what _had happened the night before.

Bill stood behind the scientist as he wrote on a piece of paper. For a moment he considered dropping the gift and making a run for it. Mabel, however, gave Bill a nudge of encouragement. Bill sighed and proceeded closer to the other man. Bill turned around and gave Mabel a look of unsureness. The girl just responded with a wide grin of encouragement, nodding her head. Bill took a step back, deciding that this may not have been such a good idea after all. Mabel frowned at the demon and put her hands on her hips with a smile.

"Grunkle Ford!" Mabel addressed in a louder tone than necessary. Bill's eyes widened at the girl, shaking his head. Mabel didn't seem to notice. "Bill has something for you!" She continued. Bill shot a glare at the girl and huffed. He would be sure to score his revenge.

Ford noticed the voice of his niece and turned around in his chair after setting down his pencil. "What was that?" He asked. He hadn't heard the sentence clearly since he had been writing.

Mabel smiled at Bill, the demon looking at Ford with his mouth open, as if he were trying to speak. This didn't go unnoticed by Ford, and he stood up. He was about to question Bill's odd behavior, and looked down as Bill extended his arms out, holding a wrapped gift against in his hands as it pressed up against the scientist's chest. Ford raised an eyebrow and grabbed hold of the package.

"What's all this about?" Ford questioned.

Bill ran a hand through his hair and gave an awkward chuckle. What was wrong with him? Why was he acting like this? And why did he find the situation so awkward and difficult to control? Bill knew that he should know how to react to the humans question, however he just couldn't find an answer that was rational.

"It's..." Bill began. He cursed his human meatsack for not being able to find the right words. He sighed and rubbed the back of his ankle with his foot, holding onto his other arm and looking away. "Just open it." He muttered.

Ford looked over at Mabel and saw his niece give an encouraging nod. Ford hummed and followed instructions, unwrapping the soft package. He placed the wrapping paper behind him and looked at the soft, folded object. He could tell that it was knitted, and unfolded the gift. He held it up and gave a small smile at the dark blue sweater with stitched yarn at the front that read "Sixer."

"Did you make this?" Ford asked Bill, a gleam of awe in his eyes.

Bill shifted slightly. He looked back at Mabel who gave him a smile. He looked back at the other man and said, "Yeah." With a slow nod of his head. "B-but Shooting Star helped." He credited. Mabel frowned. She expected that Ford would compliment her work on the garment and forget about Bill's effort in the project. She had hoped that Bill would have taken credit to get attention from her uncle.

"It's lovely," Ford complimented. He offered Bill a warm smile. "Thank you, Bill." He said. Ford turned to look at Mabel. "And you too, Mabel. This is truly fascinating." He said, admiring the turtleneck sweater.

"Try it on!" Mabel encouraged.

Ford raised an eyebrow and shifted slightly. "Now?" He asked, feeling a bit of unease at having to change his current sweater in front of the others. He didn't wish for Bill nor Mabel to have to look upon his scars. Being that Mabel was unaware of the secrets he kept hidden under his sweater, she nodded at Ford's question. Stanford adjusted his glasses and looked over at the bedroom, figuring that he could excuse himself to said room if he were to change.

"In that case," Ford said, "I'll be back momentarily" He said, departing over to the bedroom and shutting the door. Mabel watched him leave in confusion, whereas Bill frowned. He wouldn't have minded if he had seen the man sweaterless. Regardless, he looked down at Mabel once Ford had left.

Before Bill got a chance to speak, Mabel spoke first. "Where is he going?" She asked.

"To change, probably." Bill said. "Unless he's got something else going on that he doesn't want us to know about." He added with a low hum, looking away with sudden suspicion in his eyes.

Mabel mirrored Bill's suspicious expression for all but three seconds, where she now put her hands on her hips with a smile. "It's probably the first one." She said with a convinced nod of her head. Bill was quick to nod in agreement.

"Yeah," Bill said. "I mean, what strange, freakish thing could he _possibly _have to hide from other human eyes, anyway?" He asked.

Meanwhile, Ford shut the door to the bedroom with a sigh. He shrugged off his lab coat and satchel, letting them fall to the floor. He walked over to his bed, hesitantly taking off his sweater to reveal his scarred body, as well as the star tattoo on his neck that he so despised. How he wished he hasn't chosen _that tattoo, _of all things. Ford placed the sweater Mabel and Bill had made for him down on the bed. He gave a smile at it. The sweater was very well made, and had a lovely color of yarn chosen for it.

Stanford was about to grab the sweater, until he heard a noise. A strange noise. It was as if someone were calling out to him. He raised an eyebrow at this and turned around. There was a mirror in front of him, directly facing towards him. He walked towards the mirror hesitantly. He had never had this in his room before, what was it doing here? Bill couldn't have possibly put it there, could he have? No, that wasn't logical. Bill had been upstairs all afternoon. So where did this mirror come from? Was it all in his head?

He looked in the mirror as he walked closer to it. He stood close, looking at his reflection with his hands on his hips. He gave a sigh at the many scars on his torso, as well as his arms. He had always tried to see them as trophies for surviving in the multiverse all those years. However, Ford just couldn't find anything truly _positive _about them. He missed being able to wear T-shirts without the constant reminder of the scars on his body. Ford was, however, grateful that the turtleneck sweaters he wore did a good job at covering everything he had to hide from the rest of the world. From his friends and family. And from Bill.

_Bill. _Ford thought to himself. He began to wonder how the demon would react to the secrets he kept hidden under his sweaters. Surely nothing good. Bill had a reputation as well as a liking for mocking people quite often. It was similar to Stan's behavior. Ford wondered how Stan would react to seeing his brother how he was. Surely Stan wouldn't think too much of it. He had lived with a strange brother through half his life, surely it wouldn't bother him too much.

Would it?

Regardless, even if Bill didn't give mocking comments, Ford was sure that Bill would be upset about it all. He would likely blame it all on himself. Ford didn't want Bill to have to shift the blame on himself for all of the scars. Ford knew that it was his own fault much more than it was Bill's. Ford looked into the mirror and gave a small frown. He let his hands fall to his sides. He wondered if there would ever come a day in which he wouldn't feel insecure and freakish about his body.

Ford was lost in thought as he looked into the mirror. He didn't seem to see or hear the door open. Mabel stepped inside the room hesitantly, calling out to her uncle.

"Grunkle Ford?" Mabel addressed, shutting the door behind her.

Ford was taken out of his thoughts and looked at the door to see his niece standing there. He gasped sharply and was quick to rush over to his bed, grabbing the sweater and holding it up in front of his torso with his hands in hopes of covering himself.

"Mabel, what are you doing in here?" Ford roared suddenly. "Don't you know how to knock?"

Mabel's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry Grunkle Ford! You were just taking a long time, and... And I wanted to make sure you were okay." She explained.

Ford noticed the remorseful look on his nieces face and knew that he couldn't stay mad at her. She had only been concerned for him, after all. "Did...You see..?" Ford asked hesitantly.

Mabel was hesitant. She opened her mouth to speak, but shut it. She wasn't sure how to respond to the question. Ford sighed and hung his head slightly. "You saw me, didn't you?" He muttered in a tone of questioning.

"W-Was I not supposed to?" Mabel asked.

"Well," Ford began. "I just... didn't want you to be frightened." He admitted.

"Frightened?" Mabel repeated, raising an eyebrow. She hesitantly walked up to her uncle. "Why would I be frightened?" She wondered, speaking aloud.

"I figured someone such as yourself wouldn't wish to have to see such a freakish thing," Ford said. "Let alone on a family member." He added in a muttered tone.

Mabel frowned. She had a feeling of pity for Ford. She wondered if he truly felt so insecure, and saw himself as freakish just because of one other unique feature about him. "Grunkle Ford, I don't think it's freakish." She stated, folding her arms.

Ford was taken aback by the remark. "You don't?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.

Mabel smiled. "Of course not! It's what makes you _you! _They're unique and really cool!" She said. Ford's surprised look didn't go unnoticed by her. "Can... I see them again?" She asked.

Ford was, in fact, _very _surprised. Not only that his niece seemed so astonished by his scars, but the fact that she wished to look upon them. The request was something Ford never would have thought another person would ask, however Mabel had proved him wrong. Hesitantly, he took the sweater away from his torso, putting it back on the bed instead.

Mabel's eyes widened once more. "How did you get these?" She asked.

"After many, _many _different situations in the multiverse, I suppose I had picked up a few along the way." Ford answered.

"They're amazing," Mabel said. She looked up at Ford. "Does anyone else know about these?" She asked.

Ford shook his head. _"No,"_ he said in a firm manner. "I was hoping to have kept them a secret." He informed.

Mabel frowned. "Oh, I'm sorry for finding out, then." She muttered.

Ford gave a light chuckle. He got down on one knee and put a hand on Mabel's shoulder. "Mabel, dear, you don't have to apologize. In fact, your words were very kind." He stated. "They've started to open my eyes, and for that I thank you." He said with a smile.

Mabel mirrored the smile. She looked at the scars once more and gasped at a realization. "Hey, that one almost looks like a lightning bolt!" She observed, pointing to the larger scar across Ford's chest.

"Ah yes," Ford began, "I obtained that one in dimension V15. It had very large and violent winged creatures, and their claws were incredibly sharp. I nearly died in that dimension from that injury. Luckily I had gotten help before I bled out." He said. Ford then realized just who he was talking to, and regretted explaining the tragic story. Mabel, however, didn't seem to mind.

"Wow, you must be indestructible!" Mabel said, amazed that her uncle could survive such a thing.

Ford just chuckled. "I'm not so sure about indestructible, my dear. But I have survived quite a lot of attacks and things that came my way." He said.

"If I ever become president, you could be my bodyguard!" Mabel beamed. She laughed along with her uncle after pointing out the star tattoo for a moment before pulling away from the embraced hug. Ford commanded Mabel to leave for a moment while he put the sweater on. Mabel complied and skipped out of the room to patiently await the reveal.

Mabel opened the door to see Bill with an outstretched hand. She gasped and was quick to close the bedroom door so that the demon wouldn't see Ford.

"He'll be done in a minute." Mabel assured before Bill could say anything.

"You sure? Fordsy's really taking his time." Bill said, backing up and folding his arms in suspicion.

"Oh, yeah! He...uh..," Mabel began, trying to think of an excuse. She knew that Ford wished to keep his scars private and unseen by others, which she was sure that the same complied to Bill. "He wanted to do something with his hair! Yeah, yeah! That seems reasonable because it's definitely the truth." Mabel said with a nod of her head. She felt guilty for lying, however she knew that it was for the best.

Bill had a look of suspicion on his face for a split second. It was quick to vanish, replaced with wide eyes of horror and a mouth that hung open.

"Are you _kidding? _He's gonna _ruin_ that fluffy grey hair of his with products?" Bill asked in mortification. He pushed past Mabel quickly, ignoring the girls exclamations to stop, and threw the bedroom door open after twisting the handle.

"Don't ruin your hair, Sixer!" Bill shouted in desperation, holding a hand out. Ford looked at him in confusion, his hair perfectly fine and fluffy as usual. He had a hand on his hip as he questioned what Bill's sudden outburst was for.

"Bill, what's wrong?" Ford asked, sporting the dark blue turtleneck that had been made for him.

Bill saw that his hair was fine after taking a glance at Ford and shrugged. "Nevermind," he said with a dismissive wave of his hand. He looked on at the man and walked closer. "So, it worked out after all, huh?" He asked.

"Yes, it fits very well," Ford said with a nod of his head, watching Bill as he stood in front of him. "Thank you both." He said, giving a nod at both Bill and Mabel.

Bill smirked and put his hands on the sides of Ford's shoulders, close to the other man. Ford shifted slightly at the close contact, however he allowed the gesture. "Do you like it?" Bill asked.

"I do," Ford answered. "It's very comfortable." He said.

Bill smiled and ran a hand through Ford's hair, cupping the side of his cheek with the other. He snickered at the slight blush on the others face, and raised an eyebrow when Ford looked away. Ford noticed that Mabel was standing there with her mouth hung open. He was quick to clear his throat and take Bill's hand off his face.

"Wh-?" Bill began to question.

"Later," Ford whispered to the other man. In a hushed tone, he added, "Mabel's in the room." Gesturing with his eyes towards the girl. Bill looked back at Mabel to see her small smile. Ford hadn't seemed to notice the same look on his nieces face.

Bill hummed and took a step back. He was debating whether or not he should tell Ford that, for the most part, Mabel was aware of the affection they shared. He decided against it after a moment of consideration and looked down when Mabel walked over to Ford.

"It looks great on you, Grunkle Ford!" Mabel beamed. "The color suits you." She commented with a nod of her head. She gasped suddenly and said, "Oh my gosh, I should make a matching one for _you, _Bill! You two would look so adorable together!" She said with a smile.

"I don't know, Shooting Star. Last time I wore a sweater I got a black eye." He said, laughing it off. Ford frowned and felt regret for accidentally hurting Bill a few days back. Though it wasn't intentional, Ford still felt the guilt.

Mabel shrugged. "Well, I'm sure you old men can be adorable together _without _matching sweaters." She said with a wink.

Ford raised an eyebrow, whereas Bill snickered along with the girl. He opted to brush off his confusion of the statement, as Ford was sure that Mabel meant that in their own individual ways. He was reminded of something he had been meaning to mention to Bill and adjusted his glasses.

"Bill, there's something I need to discuss with you." Ford said. Mabel and Bill both gave confused looks. _"Alone." _Ford added. Mabel saw this as her cue to leave and took a couple steps back.

"Can we talk about this later?" Bill asked. "Stano needs to see you in this." He said, pointing to the sweater.

Mabel stopped in her tracks and gasped. "That's a good idea!" She praised.

Ford let out a sigh. He had wished to address the strange dream he had experienced the previous night. A part of him wondered if the dream were some sort of warning, or if it were his brain guilt-tripping and playing games with him. He figured that it would be best to ask a few questions of Bill as soon as possible. Regardless of his wishes, he said, "I suppose it can wait for a bit."

Mabel smiled. "Grunkle Stan is going to _love _this!" She said. The three walked out of the room and headed towards the elevator.

* * *

Meanwhile, Dipper walked into the kitchen to be greeted by Stan, who was taking a sip of Pitt Cola.

"Hey, Grunkle Stan." Dipper said with a short wave. He wore an expression showing that he was pondering a thought, which didn't go unnoticed by Stan.

"Hey there, kiddo. What's on your mind?" Stan questioned, setting his soda can down and folding his arms.

Dipper gave a slow shrug. "There's so much going on. I-I don't know, I feel like Ford hasn't been like himself lately." He stated. "Do... Do you know why?" He asked.

"Oh boy, do I." Stan said. He looked away and gave a confused glance at the floor. "Uh... Do I?" He asked himself, not even sure if _he _understood.

"I'm worried about him," Dipper said. "There _has_ to be something we can do." He said.

Stan merely shrugged. "I haven't seen him all day. Bill skipped work, and Ford decided to huddle himself in the basement all day. I'll be sure to give him a piece of my mind for staying in his lab all day instead of spending time with you and your sister on your last day here." He said, making a fist and shaking it slightly.

The two looked over to see Mabel walk into the kitchen.

"Grunkle Stan! Just the guy we were looking for!" Mabel said with a smile.

"We?" Dipper and Stan asked in unison. Nearby yet not in sight from the doorframe's view, Stan and Dipper could hear small grunts and pants coming from Bill, as if he were pushing something. Or _someone, _as they heard hushed complaints from Ford about him having second thoughts on displaying himself. Mabel moved out of the way as Bill made another, rougher push on Ford's arm. Ford now stood at the doorframe in the view o those in the kitchen and looked at Bill as the blonde fell to the floor. Before Ford or Mabel could ask if he needed assistance, Bill had already assured them that he was fine.

Mabel put her arms out by her side, a large smile being worn as she brought attention to Ford. The scientist gave an awkward chuckle, scratching the back of his neck and looking away.

"Doesn't he look great?" Mabel asked the others.

"He looks confused." Stan commented. Mabel frowned, and Stan gave a short laugh. "I'm only jokin' around." He assured, watching as Bill stood up from the ground.

"The sweater took a week, but it turned out okay." Bill said.

_"Okay?" _Ford repeated, raising an eyebrow. He looked at the other man beside him and gave a small smile. "It's perfect. I really love it." He said.

"You _l__ove _it?" Bill teased, putting an arm atop Ford's shoulder.

Ford gave a nod at the question. "I do." He confirmed. The two shared sideways glances towards each other with warm smiles. Mabel smiled at their sudden cuteness, whereas Stan narrowed his eyes slightly, suspicion filling his head. He knew those types of glances anywhere. Before he could speak on it, the two broke their eye contact, Bill running a hand through his hair whilst Ford cleared his throat.

"So," Ford began, getting down on one knee and beckoning Dipper closer. The boy walked towards him, and Ford put one hand on each of the twins' shoulders. "What do you say we make these last moments of the two of you here in Gravity Falls special ones?" He asked.

Mabel gasped. "Can we play hide and duo seekers?" She hoped.

"Would you mind explaining how to play first?" Ford asked.

Dipper gave a nod. "It's basically hide and seek." He began.

"Except there are two seekers instead of one!" Mabel finished, smiling. "It's a game Dipper and I made up." She said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Shooting Star, you never told me about that game." He said.

Dipper folded his arms and looked up at the demon. "It's a family game, man." He stated. "She wouldn't bother telling you about it if you can't play it."

Mabel looked at her brother and gave a small frown. "Dipper, don't be rude! Bill can play if he wants, no one should stop him!" She said.

Bill smirked down at the boy. "Yeah, Pine Tree. I may not be family, but your sister and Fordsy care about me." He said. Stan cringed at the nickname Bill had used for his brother, and proceeded to look at the others with his arms folded.

"It sounds like a nice game, my dear." Ford said. He looked up at his brother. "Stanley?" He addressed.

"Eh, not like I've got anything better to do." Stan responded with a shrug. He pushed his sudden suspicions aside and walked with the group outside, save Mabel who went upstairs for a moment to locate the other resident of the household.

* * *

After a few moments, the Pines as well as Bill and Fiddleford (Whom Mabel had asked if he had wanted to play as well,) were all out in the yard by the back porch. They had already played a couple of rounds; the first time Dipper and McGucket were the seekers, and the second being Stan and Mabel. After the previous round ended, everyone met in the center of the yard.

"You're up to countin', Sixer." Stan said, giving his brother a small push.

"And Bill!" Mabel added, copying Stan's push gesture. Bill was taken by surprise at the sudden push, and looked back at the girl with a slightly annoyed glance. Mabel responded to the expression with a cheeky smile. She pointed over at the porch and looked at the two, signaling that they were to go inside. Ford and Bill complied and walked towards the shack.

McGucket watched the two leave with a hint of confusion. Being that he had hardly spoken to either of the men throughout the day, he couldn't help but wonder just where the two stood with each other emotionally.

"Hopefully they don't strangle each other in the sixty seconds they have to count." Dipper muttered.

Mabel's smile was still apparent. "You know, I think they'll be just fine." She said, watching as the two walked into the shack.

Meanwhile, the counters stood in the living room. Ford sat down on the yellow couch and began counting on a muttered tone whilst Bill leaned on the armrest beside him. The two couldn't manage to get to the count of five before Bill stood in front of the other, placing one hand on both of the armrests. Ford raised an eyebrow at the strange behavior.

Bill drew in a breath before speaking, seeing that they had a moment alone now. "So," he began, "About last night..." Bill continued, looking away.

Ford raised an eyebrow at this. It had been the first time either of them had brought up the events of the previous night. He looked over at the back door that was wide open, seeing Dipper and Mabel running around the yard to hide. Ford looked back at the other. "Bill, we should be counting." He stated.

"Fair point," Bill began with a slow nod. "Counter point; there's a clock on the wall that'll keep track." He said with a smirk.

Ford gave a sigh. "What about it?" He asked.

"The clock?" Bill questioned.

"No, last night." Ford stated.

Bill grinned. "Oh, so we _are _talking about it, then?" He asked.

"Well," Ford started. "We're addressing it now, aren't we?"

"I guess so." Bill muttered.

The two stood in silence for a moment, neither having anything to say. Seconds on the clock was ticking away, each second counting down to when they were to go back outside. Ford was confused as to why Bill wasn't proceeding with what he had said originally.

"Well?" Ford questioned, raising an eyebrow. He glanced over at the clock, seeing that time was almost up. He looked back at Bill. "Tick tock." He reminded.

Bill shook his head quickly as if to remove himself from a thought. He looked up at Ford once more. "Oh, right." He muttered. "There's been something I've been meaning to ask." He said.

"Oh?" Ford said, "What would that be?" He asked with a raised eyebrow. He was sure that the time was up, however he figured it wouldn't hurt to give the others a bit more time, for he was now curious of what Bill was going to say.

"After what happened last night," Bill began once more. He was hesitant to speak, somewhat afraid that the question would annoy the other. "...What does that make us?" He wondered.

Ford hummed in a low tone. Bill saw this as a bad sign and regretted asking such a foolish question. He shivered slightly when Ford looked back at him.

"I'm not sure." Ford admitted with a faint shrug of his shoulders.

Back outside, Mabel as well as the others were all still hiding. As far as she had heard, no one had been found. A share of suspicion and concern came from this, and she hesitantly crawled out of her hiding place in a bush, noticing that the two counters weren't outside. She raised an eyebrow at this, positive that the time had been up for at least double its time. She stood up and walked over towards the shack to check on Ford and Bill, just to make sure that they were okay.

Mabel walked into the shack, looking forward and noticing that the two counters were still in the living room. She was about to speak aloud to tell them that the time was up in case they had forgotten how long they were supposed to count for. Mabel opened her mouth, walking forward towards the doorframe. She noticed that Bill was leaning close to her uncle, Ford seeming unopposed to the action. She figured that the two were having a bonding moment and turned to walk away.

"Did last night mean anything to you?" Bill asked.

Mabel stopped in her tracks when she heard the blonde speak. She squinted her eyes, fighting a battle in her head. After a moment, Mabel's curiosity for the best of her, and she walked back to the doorframe, poking her head out to look on at the two.

Ford tilted his head slightly. "W-well, of course it did." He confirmed, trying to read the other man's facial expression. Ford raised an eyebrow. "Why do you ask?" He wondered.

Bill gave a hesitant shrug. "I just didn't want it to mean nothing." He responded in a hushed tone.

Mabel was beyond confused. _Last night?__ Meaning nothing? _She wondered to herself. _What happened_ _to them? _

"I wouldn't say _nothing,"_ Ford began. "But I'm sure I can speak for both of us when I say that it's making things very confusing." He said. He wasn't surprised when Bill nodded in agreement.

"Well, for what it's worth..," Bill started once more. He let out a sigh. "I've grown to care about you, Sixer." He said. "I really have."

Mabel gave a small smile at this. She felt bad for watching the two without them knowing, however she couldn't help but wonder if all of those matchmaking pointers she had given to Bill were finally paying off.

"That's reassuring to hear." Ford said, offering Bill a warm smile. Bill returned the look for a short moment before giving a skeptical expression.

"What do you think your brother would say if he knew we were sleeping together?" Bill asked.

Mabel gasped out loud at this. Bill and Ford both heard the sound and turned to look at the doorframe in unison, wide eyes of horror. Mabel covered her mouth and moved away from the living room entrance, her back against the wall as she hoped that they hadn't seen her. Bill raised an eyebrow and looked back at Ford. Stanford narrowed his eyes in suspicion and drew his eyes back over at Bill at seeing nothing suspicious, and no onlookers nearby.

"Stanley would be _furious," _Ford answered. he noticed Bill's raised eyebrow and continued. "It's not because we're both men, but because..." He proceeded, stopping in the middle of his sentence to choose his words carefully. The last thing he wanted was to upset the blonde.

"Because it's _me." _Bill finished, assuming that's what the other was going to say. He looked away for a moment with a false smile.

Ford sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you, Bill. Honestly, you're correct." He muttered. Bill just shrugged, he wasn't surprised in the slightest.

Mabel frowned at this. Hesitantly, she peeked into the living room once more. She was sure that Ford and Bill had completely forgotten about the game, and the fact that they were supposed to be counting.

"I don't blame him." Bill said.

Ford brows furrowed slightly at this. "Oh, don't say that-"

"Why not?" Bill snapped suddenly, looking at Ford for all but three seconds before looking away once more. The frown didn't go unnoticed by Ford. "I'm horrible. There's no changing it. And I know he'll never let what I did last year go. He's not like you, Stanford. You hold grudges, but he holds them longer unless it's someone he cares about." He gave a small chuckle. "And we both know that Stano couldn't care less about me. That's never going to-" He continued, until he felt Ford's hand at the side of his face, moving down to his chin.

"Bill," Ford addressed, leaving the other man confused. "Hush." He commanded, tilting his head and swiftly bringing Bill's face closer to place a soft kiss atop his lips.

Mabel, who was still peeking inside the living room, smiled wide at the contact. Her pupils enlarged at the sight, as she put her hands atop her cheeks. She saw Bill climb atop the other man, wrapping his arms around Ford's neck and deepening their kiss. Mabel couldn't silence the high-pitched squeal that escaped her smiling mouth.

Bill and Ford heard the ear-piercing squeal and both pulled away from each other, looking at the doorframe to see a grinning Mabel standing there. Bill offered the girl a large smile, whereas Ford gave a look of absolute mortification.

_"Mabel!" _Ford gasped, staring at her with his mouth hung open. He pushed Bill off of him and looking down at the carpet to avoid eye contact with the girl who had caught them kissing. Bill caught himself and stood up, using one arm to lean slightly on the couch's armrest, putting his other hand on his hip.

"Uh... We found ya'!" Bill said, an awkward chuckle coming after.

Fear filled Ford's head. He had done it now. He had chosen to show affection at the worst time, resulting in Mabel finding out about him and Bill. Surely she would tell Stan. She would tell Stan, and Ford would have his brother there to scold and chide him for doing what he did. Afterwards Ford would likely fail in bluffing and Stanley would find out other things such as the happenings of the previous night. He was dead. It was all over now. No hope of getting out of fate whatsoever-

_"Yes, _finally!" Mabel beamed. "I can't believe this is happening!" She said, walking over to the two with the same smile.

"Mabel, I-I can_ assure you__, _this is _not _what it looked like." Ford stammered, trying to keep his voice firm to little avail.

Mabel ignored Ford for the moment and looked at Bill with a smile. Bill got down on one knee when he saw the girls hand raised. Bill snickered and accepted the high five.

"What do ya' know, kid?" Bill said, "It looks like your matchmaking actually worked out." He praised with a smirk.

Ford raised an eyebrow with wide eyes. _"Matchmaking?" _He questioned. He looked at Bill. "Are you saying that Mabel knew about this?"

"Well, most of it," Bill answered with a nod of his head. He stood up once more and smirked, grabbing Ford by his dark blue turtleneck and pulling him close. Bill leaned by Ford's ear and whispered, "But not _all _of it." He said, pulling away and offering the scientist a wink. Ford cheeks turned pink in response, to his distaste. Bill just smiled at Ford's reaction.

"I'm sorry for finding out about a secret," Mabel said to her uncle, frowning. "Again." She added in a mutter that neither man seemed to hear.

Ford sighed. He couldn't be upset at Mabel, it wouldn't be fair to her. He took a knee, looking at the girl. "It's alright, my dear." He said hesitantly, placing a hand atop her shoulder and giving a firm look before speaking once more. "But _please _Mabel, promise me that you won't go to Stanley about this." He pleaded.

Mabel's eyes widened. "Grunkle Stan doesn't know about you and Bill?" She asked.

_"No," _Ford confirmed. "And it's going to _stay _that way, do you understand?" He asked.

Mabel nodded. "Yeah, I do." She assured. "But Grunkle Ford, hiding this from your own _brother? _Are you sure that's a good idea? Hiding something from your twin _never_ works out how you want it to. And I would know!" She said.

"It will be difficult," Ford agreed with a nod of his head. "But it's the only option other than having the bond I've rebuilt with Stan severed again." He stated.

Mabel could only hum. "When _will _you tell him?" She wondered.

Ford's thoughts were all halted at the question asked. He thought for a moment, only to realize that he didn't exactly have a plan on that just yet. "In time," Ford assured. "When Stan is able to forgive Bill."

"Which is never gonna happen." Bill grumbled, folding his arms and looking away.

"Anything is possible!" Mabel retorted, placing her hands atop her hips.

Bill just scoffed. "Yeah, _sure _kid." He muttered with very little enthusiasm. He looked back at Mabel before continuing. "If anything was possible, I would be normal again, not having to be stuck in this restricted body." He stated.

Mabel frowned. "Maybe someday you will!" She encouraged.

Before Bill could comment his doubt, he glanced up at the clock, his eyes widening. "Oh, crud!" He exclaimed. "Stano, Pine Tree and Fiddle-dee are still hiding out there!" He reminded.

Ford looked at the clock and added, "The twins' bus arrives in five minutes." With a monotone voice.

"Then go find them!" Mabel said, pointing her arms at the door. Bill and Ford glanced at each other for a few seconds before bolting out of the house in unison to go find the hiders. Mabel watched them leave with a smile.

_I'm happy for them. _Mabel thought to herself, hands on her hips. _Hopefully Grunkle Stan doesn't tear them apart if he finds out_ _the truth.__.. _

_Nah, Stan's a reasonable guy! _Mabel mentally retorted. _I'm sure it would all be fine if he _did _figure it out. _She walked over towards the back door and walked onto the porch, sitting atop the couch to spectate the game. She looked over at Bill to see him creeping up to a bush he sensed someone was behind. He gave the bush a sudden shake, earning him a fearful cry from Dipper. Bill laughed mockingly when the boy ran away from his hiding spot.

Meanwhile, Stan was hidden behind a large tree, smirking with his arms folded. _It's been five minutes already, and those idiots still haven't found me! Ain't no one ever gonna find Stanley Pines at this rate! _While Stan celebrated in his head, he didn't seem to notice a figure walking towards him from behind. Stan shouted in fear when he felt a hand atop his shoulder, and turned his head around to see his twin brother there.

"There you are." Ford said.

Stan just grunted. "I jinxed it." He muttered under his breath.

"Bill found Dipper and is now chasing him around the yard like a madman, and I've found you," Ford pondered in his head. "So that leaves... Fiddleford!" He said, looking around slightly.

"Oh yeah?" Stan began, standing up with his arms still folded. "What about Mabel?" He quizzed.

Ford started at the mentioning of the girl. "She..." He tried, hoping to find a logical excuse that wouldn't signal his bluffing. "She was found by Bill as well, I believe." He said, giving a look as though he were questioning it himself.

"Way to look after the kids, Pointdexter." Stan said with an eye roll.

Stan and Ford looked over at a bush that began shaking and rustling around in front of them. Ford raised an eyebrow, and Stan narrowed his eyes.

"What's that?" Stan asked Ford, assuming his brother would know the answer. "Some kinda... weird, magic bush?"

"Doubtful," Ford said. He went to flip his lab coat back to draw a gun in case there were a monster, only to be reminded that he hadn't worn his coat. He took a defensive stance at not having a weapon on him. Stan noticed Ford's sense of danger and put up a set of fists.

The two looked at the bush for a moment longer, only to see a skinny, blonde man swiftly jump out of said bush, landing with his hands touching the dirt ground as he scanned his surroundings. He looked up at the old men who looked as if they were to attack and backed up slightly.

Ford calmed at the sight of seeing a human rather than a monster. "Oh, it's just a man." He muttered.

Stan put his hands on his hips and looked at the young man. "Hey, I've seen you before." He stated with narrowed eyes.

The strange blonde man looked up at the others. "Yo dawgs, any of you seen some other cool lookin' dudes around here?" He asked.

"Well, there's one right _here, _if that's what you're askin'." Stan said with a smirk, pointing to himself. Ford rolled his eyes at his brothers statement.

"What's your name?" Ford asked the stranger.

"Call me Deep Chris." The man answered.

Stan raised an eyebrow. "That a nickname?" He asked. Ford gave Stan a nudge to the shoulder at the rude comment.

"Are you lost?" Ford questioned. "It can be easy to get lost in the forest around here."

"Not lost, just scared, dawg." Chris retorted. His voice got deeper, and more serious as he said, "I sense that some uncool _danger _is near."

Ford and Stan looked at each other for a moment, then back at the man to see that Chris still had a serious look on his face. A few seconds later, his face lit up with a smile. "Well, see you around, stone agers!" He said before scurrying off further into the forest.

"Danger?" Ford repeated, raising an eyebrow in concern.

"Stone agers?" Stan also repeated, folding his arms and huffing in offence. "The nerve of young people these days." He grumbled with a shake of his head.

Ford hummed in suspicion. "I wonder if we should fear the danger that man spoke of. I can't shake the feeling that it was meant as a warning to something..." He said, putting a hand atop his chin as he thought.

Stan looked at his brothers serious expression and gave him a harder pat on the back than he had intended. "Come on, Sixer. I'm sure he's just scared of the wolves. Quit bein' so paranoid." He said.

Ford took one last glance at where the man had departed and adjusted his glasses. "I'm sure you're right." He said. The two walked back over towards the shack in silence. Stan seemed as if there was nothing bothering him. Ford, on the other hand, still carried suspicion of the strange warning. Surely it hadn't just been coincidence. There has to be a meaning behind the so called danger. Regardless, he opted not to speak his mind to Stan any more on the situation, as the conman would likely brush it off and call it nothing to worry about.

When they returned back to the shack, McGucket (Who had been found by Bill) rushed up to Ford.

"The twins' bus is gon' be at that bus stop in a couple a' minutes." Fiddleford said.

Stan frowned. "I wish their parents woulda' let 'em stay the whole summer instead of just half." He commented.

"Well, even if they didn't, what matters is that they were able to pay a visit." Ford said with a shrug. He looked over to see the twins and Bill sitting atop the grass. The kids watched as Bill lit a leaf on fire using his magic. Mabel clapped, whereas Dipper felt a shiver go up his spine at knowing that the demon could burn objects to a crisp.

Stan walked over to the twins. "Well, looks like you kiddos better get your bags from upstairs." He said. Mabel and Dipper frowned at the thought of leaving Gravity Falls, however they complied and stood up to go get their things.

"Need any help?" Bill offered. Mabel kindly declined the offer, however Dipper looked back and scrunched his nose at the demon with narrowed eyes. Bill's offer was clearly a way of getting Dipper to trust him, which the boy wouldn't let happen.

"I don't need your help." Dipper said with a scoff, walking away to catch up with her sister.

Bill put a hand on his heart for show by the sudden rudeness, however he couldn't say he was surprised. He watched the young teenager leave and rolled his eyes. "Good riddance, Pine Tree." Bill grumbled. Knowing that Dippers back was turned, Bill stood up from off the grass and offered the boy a certain hand gesture. Stan would have showed his enthusiasm of the demon using such gestures, had it not been directed to his nephew. Ford, however, showed his distaste for it.

"He deserved it." Bill stated.

"In time Dipper will grow to open up a bit more." Ford assured.

"We both know that's not true." Bill retorted.

"You can't exactly predict that he won't." Ford said.

Bill folded his arms. "Well _you _can't predict that he _will, _smart guy." He stated. Ford opened his mouth to speak, but shut it a moment later. Bill smirked at his win when Ford didn't respond. The last few days had been long ones, however they all had their unique settings to them.

* * *

A few minutes later, after the twins had gotten their bags and put them in the car, everyone got in the car towards the bus stop. When they arrived, they were surprised to see Soos' truck parked near the road. Soos and Melody gave the others waves. When Mabel got out of the car, she gushed at the adorable sight of Brock peacefully asleep in Melody's arms, cuddled up close to his mother.

When everyone was out of the car, Ford and McGucket both took a moment to admire the sunset. Fiddleford looked around to make sure no one was listening. He looked at Ford and asked, "So... What happened with yerself' and Bill?" He wondered.

Ford heard the question and copied McGucket's action of looking around before answering. "We've resolved most of the issues." He said. "However we're both confused of where we stand with each other." He added in a hushed tone.

McGucket gave a slow nod. "I'm happy for ye', Stanford." He said with a small smile. "Does Stan know anything?" He asked.

Ford shook his head. "I don't want Stanley finding out anytime soon, regardless of what ends up happening between Bill and I." He said. "However I fear that he will find out on his own. Mabel already has." He muttered.

"Well yea', Bill had told er' about a weeka' go." Fiddleford said.

"Yes, but now she has _confirmation._" Ford revealed.

"Confirmation?" Fiddleford repeated. "What do ye' mean by that?" He asked.

Ford took in a breath before speaking. "I suppose you could say that she glanced upon a show of affection earlier." He said, running a hand through his hair and looking away awkwardly.

"Oh, I see." Fiddleford said, nudging Ford slightly with a wink. Ford chuckled and swatted the other man's arm away.

Mabel jumped up and gave Soos a hug, taking him by surprise. The handyman wrapped his arms around Mabel and chuckled, giving the girl a pat on the back.

"I'm gonna miss you, dawg." Soos said.

Mabel gave a sad smile. "I'll miss you too," She said. Mabel got down and looked at Melody. "I'll miss all three of you." She said.

Melody offered her a small smile. "We hope to see you again soon." She said.

"Oh, we'll be back." Mabel said with a laugh. She looked at Brock and added, "I can't wait to see _that_ little guy again, either!"

Everyone at the bus stop looked down the road to see the bus coming towards them. Frowns formed at the sight of the vehicle, however the twins were going to be happy to see their parents once again when they got back to California.

Stan and Ford walked closer and stood beside each other, both getting down on a knee and putting their arms out. Mabel and dipper looked behind them and rushed towards their uncles. Dipper threw his arms around Ford's neck, whereas Mabel did the same for Stan. McGucket gave a smile at the action.

"You kids better come back soon." Stan said.

"Say hello to your grandpa Shermy for me." Ford requested.

"We will." Dipper and Mabel responded to both uncles in unison.

The bus made its stop, the doors opening for the twins. Mabel and Dipper walked towards the bus, until Mabel came to a short stop. She looked to her right to see Bill and McGucket giving short 'goodbye' waves. She sighed at the two and dropped her things, running towards the men and opening her arms wide. She jumped up and brought them shoulder-to-shoulder with each other as she hugged them tight.

"I'm going to miss you guys so much." Mabel said, sighing.

"We'll miss ye' too, Mabel." McGucket said with a small smile.

Bill nodded. "Yeah, you'd better come back sometime, kiddo. Make me proud and annoy Pine Tree on the way back, will ya'?" He requested.

"Oh, definitely!" Mabel assured with a giggle. She looked at Bill. "You and Grunkle Ford better be good to each other." She said. "And _no evil!"_ She added in a more stern manner.

"No evil." Bill repeated. "Got it." Mabel smiled. He looked back at the girl and gave a small smile of his own. "Thanks for everything, kid." He said in a hushed tone. He didn't want the others jumping to the conclusion that he was going soft. If they did, he would only deny the claims.

"Mabel!" Dipper called, waving his hand. Mabel turned her head around and remembered the bus that was awaiting her. She gave Fiddleford and Bill one last tight squeeze before hopping down and rushing back over to the bus. The twins looked at each other and gave small smiles before boarding the bus. Mabel had nearly brought Waddles along with her, but figured that Bill may want an extra friend to take care of while she was gone. Bill wasn't opposed to taking care of Waddles for her, as he owed that to Mabel and _much_ more for all she had done for him, and all of the undeserved kindness she had shown.

Dipper and Mabel walked to the back of the bus, sitting down and looking out the window. The doors to the bus closed, and the driver announced their next stop to California. The twins looked out the window and saw the others save Soos and Melody running to catch up with them. They smiled and waved back to their friends and family.

"When do you think we'll be back?" Mabel asked, turning to look at her brother.

"Only time will tell." Dipper said with a shrug.

When the bus was too far away, Bill stopped running. Ford noticed him stopping and ceased his running as well, just watching the bus head down the road. He looked as Stan and McGucket proceeded to run until they toppled over.

Ford cringed at the sight of Stan landing face-first on the grass. "That had to hurt." He muttered.

"Let's hope he didn't break a hip." Bill added. Ford gave him a blank look, which didn't go unnoticed by the demon. _"Kidding."_ He assured. Bill tilted his head to the side, laying it atop Ford's shoulder and sighing. "I feel weird...er. Weirder than usual." He admitted.

Ford looked down at the man. "Why is that?" He asked.

"I don't know. It's strange, but I'm actually gonna miss Shooting Star." Bill said, watching as the bus the twins were leaving on went out of view.

"Mabel will be back." Ford said, putting an arm atop Bill's shoulder from behind in a reassuring manner. "She'll return before you know it."

"I know everything." Bill grumbled, looking up at the man.

"Not anymore, you don't." Ford reminded. He saw Bill's scowl and chuckled. "But you _are_ very intelligent."

Bill huffed. "Don't sugarcoat your insults, Sixer." He muttered, nuzzling his face into the warmth of the other man for a moment. They stood in silence for nearly a minute before pulling away. They looked as McGucket stood up from off the ground, offering to help Stan up. Ford and Bill walked over to the others, as if they had forgotten of the couple still standing by the bus stop.

"Did you see that?" Soos asked, looking beside him at his girlfriend.

"See what? Your boss fall face-first in the grass?" Melody asked. She gave a light chuckle. "Yeah, I did." She said.

Soos shook his head. "N-no, not that." He began. "Maybe it was just me, but Bill looked kind of affectionate just then." He said.

Melody looked at Soos. "I thought they weren't together." She said.

"They aren't, they never have been." Soos said. He looked down at the grass as he thought. "At least, I don't _think _they have been."

the other four all walked back over to the bus stop where Soos and Melody had stayed. Stan tried to seem like he wasn't in pain, however his head was throbbing after hitting the ground so roughly. Ford offered to drive on the way back and to get him an ice pack when they got home, only for Stan to quickly deny the assistance. No head pain was going to stop Stan Pines from any regular activities.

"I think it's best we all head home." Stan said.

"I second that, dude." Soos agreed. "It's chilly out here."

McGucket looked at Brock and said, "Don't let the little one turn inta' a popsicle."

Soos' eyes widened. "Oh no, can that really happen?" He asked.

Bill blinked at the childlike man's question. He was about to tell Soos that it was merely an expression, only for Soos to rush over to his vehicle, pulling out his keys and turning the car on. He beckoned Melody to come quickly before Broke froze.

"Well, I guess we're leaving, then." Melody muttered. She looked at the others with a smile as she turned around. "It was nice seeing all of you again!" She said before walking over to Soos' truck with Brock in his arms.

The others watched as Melody headed towards the truck, strapping Brock in his car seat before taking the passengers seat. Soos pulled out of where he had parked and got on the road.

"Well, home time!" Stan said, marching over to the car. McGucket followed along, Bill walking behind him. They walked towards the car, until Bill stopped in his tracks at feeling a hand on his shoulder. He looked behind him to see Ford wearing a serious facial expression.

Bill raised an eyebrow with a bored look on his face. "What's wrong?" He asked, lacking enthusiasm and concern as he asked the question with a monotone voice.

"Bill, there's something I need to talk to you about." Ford stated.

Bill groaned. "Is this that thing you mentioned earlier?" He asked.

"Yes, and I think it's best if you are aware." Ford said.

Bill looked around to see Stan and Fiddleford getting into the car. "Well, chop chop, Sixer. They're gonna leave without us."

"Stan wouldn't leave without us." Ford assured, doubting the claim.

Stanley looked through the windshield to see Bill and Ford still outside. He waited a moment, narrowing his eyes at the hesitance of them getting into the vehicle. He grumbled and shook a fist through the broken drivers seat window.

"Hey, _Pointdexter!" _Stan hollered, taking Ford by surprise. "If ya' don't hurry up, we're leavin' without'cha!" He threatened.

Bill looked at Ford. "Told ya'." He said with a sly smirk.

Ford sighed. "When we get home, may I address it?" He asked.

Bill narrowed his eyes. "First off- that ol' shack is _not _my home. It's _your__s_. It never _will _be my home." He stated. His features softened. "But I'll listen to whatever you feel the need to say." He said with a nod of his head.

Ford gave a nod. "Thank you." He said before the two walked over to the car with Stanley and Fiddleford. What they didn't notice on the way back was two members of Several' Timez were watching them leave.

"That blonde dawg looks just like me, broski!" One member said.

"Maybe if we replace him with you, it'll all work out!" The other said.

"That plan is straight _perfect__!" _The first said, pumping his fist into The air.

** Well, there's that. I was originally going to have what Ford wanted to say in this chapter, but this one is long enough on its own. Besides, it will fit the next chapter better to have both the conversation and other events go on in the same chapter.**

**I'm going to have to memorize all of the names from the Several Timez group, as well as which name belongs to who. Why is for you to figure out.**

**The "Hide and Duo Seek" Game was just something random that popped into my head. xD **

**Expect the next chapter soon! **


	46. Nights Get Rough

**Oh my gosh, you guys are so patient. Thank you so much ;w;**** I was gone for a few days during the wait for this update. (A piece of the explanation is up on Tumblr, but I've told some friends as well.) ****It was a medical situation that was family-related. At the very least I got some plot ideas during the short break to better put together the future events in this story, and had gotten them sorted out a bit more.**

**There's some extra Billford fluff in the first half of this chapter, because it seems fitting to include some cuteness before new problems begin.****..**

***Cue evil laughter***

**(There's also quite a lot of dialog/speaking between the characters in this chapter.)**

**Oh, also! I've decided on writing 'doorframe' instead of 'door frame.' It just seems like it suits the story better, especially since I said doorframe in the first place. It wasn't until I got the fanfiction app that I started writing 'door frame' due to auto correct.**** I go from writing on computer and writing on the app a lot. xD**

**Here is chapter 46 of 'Welcome Home'****!**

The ride from the bus stop to the Mystery Shack was a quick one. When those in the car got back to the shack, they all headed inside. Stan was saddened that the summer had gone by so fast, and that the twins were already gone. At the very least he had his brother as family to talk to. He had gone years without family in the past, and was fortunate to have Ford in his life again after almost 41 years of being separated from each other.

Stan looked over at McGucket and wondered how long Ford would keep him at the shack. Stan understood that it was for his safety, however since he as well as the others hadn't heard word from Mr. Powers recently, it made Stan wonder if there was any reason to fear the agents return.

Stanley looked over at the laboratory as Ford opened the vending machine door, beckoning Bill to walk inside.

"Retiring already, Pointdexter?" Stan asked.

Ford turned to look at his brother. "For now, I suppose." He answered.

"Sixer's got a secret." Bill said, waving his hands mystically.

"I wouldn't call it a secret," Ford retorted. "I would label it as more of an enigma." He said.

Stan huffed. "Well, there you go again, using big words and expecting me to know them." He grumbled.

Ford gave Stan a deadpan look. "Might I suggest a dictionary?" He half-joked.

Stan cracked a smile, but gave a shake of his head. "Nah, it's not like I'll pay attention to what I'm readin'." He responded.

"Fair enough." Ford said with a shrug, following Bill down the stairs as the vending machine door closed automatically behind them.

"So," Bill began, putting his hands in his pockets. "What's this _urgent _thing you _insist _on telling me about?" He asked, looking behind him as Ford caught up. Bill skipped a stair step with each step he took. Skipping steps and looking behind him was dangerous, however he didn't seem to mind nor acknowledge it.

"Watch your step," Ford warned, noticing how careless Bill was being with where he was walking.

Bill just smirked. "You kidding?" He began, putting a hand up. "I know this laboratory like the back of my hand." He claimed. Not three seconds later, he tripped on his other ankle and fell forward. Ford rolled his eyes and grabbed hold of Bill's hand with a tight grip before the demon could hit the end of the stairs, as well as the cold stone floor.

Bill looked at the ground he nearly hit, then at Ford. "The back of my hand." He repeated with a cheeky smirk.

"It shows." Ford muttered, letting go of the other man's hand and adjusting his glasses.

Bill folded his arms with wide eyes as he watched Ford pass by him, walking towards the elevator. "Stanford Filbrick Pines, is that sarcasm?" He asked, following the scientist into said elevator.

"Yes." Ford admitted without hesitation.

Bill's mouth hung open, and he put a hand over his heart for show. "I'll have you know that I've walked down those stairs more times than I could possibly count." He stated, watching as Ford pressed the button that would take them down to the laboratory.

Ford glanced at him. "Is that so?"

"It is," Bill answered. "Whether it was in here," He continued, pointing his index finger on his forehead. "Or in there." He said, moving his finger and poking the side of Ford's head. The scientist shifted and gently swatted the hand away.

The elevator opened, and the two emerged into the lab. Bill ran forward, extending his arms out and reaching out for the black spinny-chair that was near Ford's desk, jumping atop the chair and sitting down. Ford merely chuckled and walked over towards the desk by the portal window, leaning on the desk beside Bill. He figured it would be best to get straight to the point.

"Something strange happened last night." Ford began, folding his arms.

"I'll say." Bill agreed with a sly smirk.

Ford gave a shake of his head. "T-That's not what I'm talking about," He stuttered. "It was... a dream. A very _strange_ dream." He stated.

"Well that doesn't seem too unusual, coming from you." Bill replied.

"It wasn't like anything I've experienced before," Ford continued. "And I'm not quite sure how to react." He muttered.

Bill shrugged. "Simple, just forget about it." He said.

"You don't understand," Ford proceeded with a shake of his head.

Bill folded his arms. "Well if you expect me to understand, maybe some details would make it easier." He said with an eye roll.

Ford gave a short nod. "You're right, I'm sorry." He said. Stalling wouldn't do him any good, and he couldn't understand why he suddenly felt the urge to stall. Perhaps it was because the dream was based around Bill, and he wasn't sure how to explain it.

"Fire away, IQ." Bill encouraged, folding his arms.

Ford was hesitant before speaking. "Did... you happen to have any strange dreams last night?" He asked. "Stranger than usual?"

Bill hummed at the question. "Well, yeah. I was in the gift shop, and there was a kid... and, and..." He tried, his memory fuzzy when trying to remember the dream. "Huh, I actually don't remember." He muttered.

"I'm not surprised," Ford replied. "Most humans normally forget dreams they have at night. So it's no mystery on why you can't recall what happened." He stated.

Bill narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Hold on, smart guy. If I can't remember _my _dream, how can you remember yours?" He asked, crossing one leg over the other as he leaned back in the chair.

"It wasn't an ordinary dream." Ford explained.

"Elaborate 'ordinary' to someone as weird as myself." Bill said.

Ford ran a hand through his hair before speaking. "It was horrifying." He began. "Out of all the strange things I've encountered over the years, I've never seen anything like what I saw last night." He said.

Bill gave a raised eyebrow. "One of those _strange things _you mentioned being me, I assume?" He asked.

"Certainly." Ford answered. Bill grinned at this, until realizing that what Ford saw in his dream was supposedly _more strange _and horrifying than him. Bill Cipher wasn't about to be bested by some _dream_ from the mind.

_"Hey! _I'm as horrifying as the subject gets!" Bill retorted with a scoff. "There's no _way _that little nightmare you had was weirder than-"

"The dream was centered around _you." _Ford revealed after putting a finger up.

Bill froze for a moment. His smile reappeared at knowing that he wasn't being underestimated compared to some pitiful dream. He smirked. "Dreaming about me in your sleep, Fordsy? How sweet." He teased.

"Oh,_ please."_ Ford muttered. He looked away for a moment before looking back at Bill. "Are you _positive _that nothing, nothing at_ all_ worrying crossed your mind while you were asleep?" He asked.

_"Yes," _Bill groaned, tilting his head back and rolling his eyes. He looked at Ford with a tilted head. "Do you plan on telling me what happened or not?" He asked.

Ford opened his mouth to speak, but closed it after a moment. He pondered once more of it was truly a good idea to share what had happened. He gave a slow shake of his head. "On second thought..." He began hesitantly. Bill's look of confusion didn't go unnoticed. "It was probably just paranoia getting the best of me." He half-lied with a small, sheepish smile.

Bill narrowed his eyes and hummed in suspicion. "I don't know, you seemed pretty serious there, Sixer. Acting so secretive and serious about this, only ta' brush it off as paranoia?" He said, standing up with his arms folded. "You sure it's nothing serious?" He asked.

"Honestly, Bill, I shouldn't have made such a big deal of it_._" Ford said with a simple shrug, looking at the man in front of him. "But then again, it _is _reassuring to know that nothing strange happened to you." He said.

Bill was still suspicious, but figured it wouldn't be a wise move to press Ford further into the subject. "You're not _scared_ after your little nightmare, are you?" He questioned.

"I'm not a _child, _Bill." Ford reminded with furrowed brows.

"I know, I know." Bill said with a snicker, nudging Ford in the arm.

Ford put a hand on Bill's shoulder. "I can assure you, everything is alright for the time being." He said.

"Time being?" Bill repeated with a raised eyebrow, taking a hand and lifting it up towards his shoulder to place it atop Ford's hand. "Are you saying things _won't _be alright?" He asked.

"This is Gravity Falls," Ford said, winding his fingers with Bill's. "Things aren't always as they seem." He stated.

Bill smirked. "Really?" He mused with a mischievous look in his eyes. "Then what's that _normal _looking snake on your desk?" He asked.

Ford's eyes widened at this as he looked at the desk he was leaning against. "A _snake? _Where?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in confusion.

Bill tilted his head to the side to get Ford's attention with a smile. "Whoop- kidding!" He said before giving the scientist a quick peck on the lips. "Didn't see that one coming, didja?" He asked with a smirk.

"Trickster." Ford chided with an eye roll. Bill gave a mocking laugh at his supposed win before being taken by surprise when Ford gave a kiss back. Bill's eyes widened at the sudden contact, but shut his eyes and leaned in to the kiss after a moment. Ford's hands dropped to his sides as Bill kept them locked together. Ford removed one of his hands from the other man's and flipped them around so that Bill's back leaned against the desk now. With his spare hand, Ford placed it upon the blondes chin. They shared a longer, more affectionate kiss for a moment, not hearing the sound of the elevator opening.

Fiddleford took a step forward as if to leave the elevator, only to see Ford and Bill's lips kneading together. Fiddleford gave a faint smile at this. He knew that his chances with Ford were over with, and he had moved on since figuring that out. He was glad to see Ford happy, and Bill less distressed. He looked at the others awkwardly as they hadn't happened to hear him come down to the lab, and cleared his throat in a way to get their attention.

The two pulled away and looked at the elevator in unison. Bill looked away awkwardly, and Ford scratched the back of his neck, drawing his eyes to the floor to break the awkward eye contact with McGucket.

"We have _got _to stop doing that." Bill muttered.

"I-I hope I'm not interruptin' anything." Fiddleford said. He could see past the hurried denies of his assumption from the others in the lab, but continued speaking. "Yer' brother said that he wanted ta' speak with ye', Stanford." McGucket informed. "He said he's been meanin' ta' have a word with ye' today."

Ford gave a nod to the information. "In that case, I'll be back shortly." He told Bill, heading over towards the elevator with McGucket. The two walked into the elevator to go upstairs.

After a moment, Ford emerged from his laboratory, shutting the vending machine door behind him. He called out to his brother whom he heard respond to him from the kitchen. He walked towards the voice to see Stan leaning on the doorframe with his arms folded.

"You wanted to speak with me?" Ford began, raising an eyebrow.

"Uh... yeah." Stan muttered, looking down at the floor. This gave Ford a reason to worry, seeing his brothers hesitant behavior.

"What about?" Ford asked.

Stan looked up and adjusted his fez hat before speaking. "It's about Bill." He answered.

A hint of worry passed by Ford at hearing this. He wondered what the context was, and why his brother was bringing up the blonde so suddenly. He shifted slightly when he heard Stan state that this was about Bill. The shift didn't go unnoticed by Stan.

Ford folded his arms and leaned on the other side of said doorframe. "What about him?" He questioned.

"Well if I'm bein' honest here, Pointdexter, the two of ya' are confusing me." Stan stated with furrowed brows.

Ford didn't know how to respond. "Oh?" He blurted out. A pathetic excuse of a response, really. Ford noticed how idiotic his response sounded, and he continued. "How so?" He asked.

"I don't get it- what happened?" Stan began, raising an eyebrow and tilting his head. "One day the two of ya' get in a harsh argument, and the next you're bein' nice to each other. It's weird, since I finally got used to you and that guy arguin' all the time. So what gives?" He asked.

Ford drew in a breath before sighing. "I suppose I finally understood the circumstances." He muttered. Stanley gave a look of obvious confusion, and Ford proceeded. "After everything that's happened, and after all of the horrible things I've said, it took a lot to see how wrong I've been. How much I haven't been listening to both Bill _and_ others around me. And with what happened, I blame myself." Ford said. "I should have been more understanding. I've _sickened_ myself with the fact that I never cared enough to take time to listen, blinded by my view of things and blocking out the truth that awaited. That I didn't bother hearing him out until I had practically encouraged him to put his life on the line, and that it took such a thingfor me to realize just what I've done to him." Ford muttered, his words stinging as he spoke.

Stan's eyes widened at the last bit of what Ford had responded to his confusion with. "Holy Mackerel, he didn't-!" He said in both surprise and disbelief. He never would have thought that someone like Bill would attempt such a thing.

"He tried," Ford revealed. "Luckily I was there before anything could escalate." He added in a hushed tone.

Stan put his hands on his hips. "Jeez, Stanford!" He chided with a small glare. Ford noticed his brothers look and frowned. "That guy's crazy! Do you know what kinda' things he could have done to himself with the stuff you've been sayin' on his mind?" He scolded with narrowed eyes.

"You're not helping." Ford groaned, putting a hand over his face and tilting his head back.

"Well, is he _alright?" _Stan asked in a harsh tone, folding his arms once more. "I don't need another one of my employee's off work all the time." He stated.

Ford gave a nod. "Yes, he's seemed to be in a better state of mind. We... spoke quite a lot last night." He assured.

Stan sighed. "You knucklehead." He muttered with a shake of his head. "You'll be gettin' more than just questions from me if my employee goes missin' because of you." He grumbled.

_I suppose that's only fair. _Ford thought to himself. He looked up at his brother. "I'm sorry, Stanley." He said, taking a step back to leave, assuming the conversation was over with.

Stan noticed Ford leaving and narrowed his eyes. "Ya' know what? I don't think you're hearin' me!" He snapped with a glare. Ford stopped and looked at Stan as he continued. "You always say you're sorry, and ya' usually end up gettin' away with stuff. But so help me, Stanford, if my employee goes missin'-!" He shouts, standing face to face with his brother and pointing his index finger at him, poking Ford's chest as he looked at him with the same glare.

Ford could see behind the rage in his brothers eyes. He could sense that from his expression, Stan felt a bit of pity for Bill and his previous state. The thought of Stan being able to relate to such a thing only poured salt in his wound.

Ford sighed. "Stanley, I understand that you care about Bill-" He began, only to be cut off with a scoff from Stan.

"You kiddin'? I could care less about that no-good jackass." Stan said, folding his arms as his glare was no longer apparent. The look Stan wore on his face showed that he held no remorse for his words. Ford narrowed his eyes and clenched his fists. Stan hadn't seemed to notice, and he proceeded. "The only thing he's good for 'round here is workin' and playin' the occasional poker game." He stated.

Ford glared back at Stan. "I see that's all you care to notice." He grumbled in a low tone.

Stan gave a sarcastic laugh in response. "That's a lot of talk comin' from you, the one who nearly killed him in the first place." He said, putting his hands on his hips.

Ford's glare hardened. It took all of his willpower not to give Stan a hard clock to the face for being so careless with his words. And while he knew that every reminder to him was deserved, he was surprised at Stan for speaking in such a cruel way. Much, _much _crueler than usual.

Stan saw the fuming look on Ford's face and then noticed the clenched fists. He, for once in his life, replayed what he had said inside his head and _knew _that he had crossed the line now. Normally he spoke what was in his head without thinking, but for once he wished that he hadn't.

"Wait," Stan began. "I, uh... I didn't mean that." He claimed. "Sorry, Sixer." He muttered.

Ford blinked at Stan's unusual apology to his actions before frowning in response. "Look who's apologizing now." He grumbled, turning around and storming away. Stan wore a look of guilt as his brother left without another word. Stan didn't wish to keep the conversation on this note, so he thought of something quickly.

"Uh, dinners almost done, by the way." Stan said. By the looks of it, Ford had ignored Stan as he departed into the gift shop to go back down to the laboratory.

Ford descended the stairs to his lab and walked into the elevator. He had multiple projects and papers to work on, and he didn't need his brothers comments to get in the way of his plans. He _could _tell that Stan hadn't meant what he had said, however it still didn't help Ford's upset emotion caused by the words.

The elevator doors opened. Bill, who stood over by the desk, raised an eyebrow. He turned around and wondered why Ford was back so soon. He saw the look on his face and shifted slightly. Surely the conversation Ford had with his brother didn't go well.

"Woah, what's got _you _all hot-headed?" Bill asked. Ford ignored him and proceeded to walk forward. Bill squinted his eyes when he was given no response, and quickly walked towards the scientist, blocking his path so that he wouldn't walk off.

"Hey, _hey! _Slow your roll there, Sixer!" Bill commanded. He put his hands on Ford's shoulders to attempt dominance of the situation and raised an eyebrow. "What could Stan've _possibly said _to get you all enraged?" He questioned.

Ford was hesitant. He wasn't sure how to answer the question. _Could _he answer it? The last thing he wanted to do was remind Bill of the other day. And explaining what had happened would do nothing but.

Bill gave Ford a deadpan look at his silence. "Ya' see, that's called a _question, _smart guy." He said.

Ford looked at Bill for a short moment before shrugging the blondes hands off his shoulders, walking past him towards his desk. Bill turned his head and watched the man leave. He was confused with Ford's sudden behavior.

"...Oh," Bill said in a mutter, slouching slightly and watching as Ford sat down by his desk, jotting down a couple sentences on a half-written page. Bill gave a sigh. "This is about me, isn't it?" He asked.

Ford ceased writing and set down his pencil. He opened his mouth to speak, only to close it after thinking twice. Bill noticed the silence and frowned.

"Look, I-I'm sorry, okay? I didn't mean to cause problems because of what happened yesterday." Bill said. "I guess at the time I'd thought it would resolve the problems." He muttered. "Besides, maybe then I would return back to normal, instead of being stuck in this pathetic body." He added.

Ford turned around and stood up once more. "You have _nothing _to apologize for." He assured. Bill gave him blunt look of doubt. Ford thought back on what he said. "Well, not in this particular context, that is." He restated.

"Sure I do." Bill retorted.

Ford gave a shake of his head. "You _don't." _He assured in a firmer manner. "Stan was correct about one thing- if anyone is at fault here, it's myself." He muttered.

Bill folded his arms. "Ya' want me to burn the money in ol' Stano's cash stash?" He offered with a smirk, snapping a finger and lighting a blue flame.

"No, that would be unnecessary. Not to mention illegal." Ford stated.

"I see no down side here." Bill replied.

Ford looked behind him at the work on his desk, then at Bill. "I'm sure I just need a break from all of this, that's all." He admitted.

"Then why don't ya' take one?" Bill proposed. Ford raised an eyebrow, and Bill continued. "Like a vacation! You know, just the two of us." He said. He gave an evil-like smirk and added, "Where no one can hear your screams."

Ford narrowed his eyes slightly, a look of unease apparent. "What was that?" He asked, taking a small step back from the man.

Bill just laughed. "Oh, come on, Sixer. I'm only kidding." He stated. "My twisted humor makes me who I am, ya' know?" He said.

Ford adjusted his glasses. "Well, as tempting as a trip may sound, I would feel _terrible_ for leaving Stan and Fiddleford behind." He admitted.

"Bring them along," Bill said with a shrug. "With your gadgets and weapons from other dimensions, and my magic, I'm sure we'd be fine if something went wrong." He said.

Ford hummed in consideration, however the thought of a situation going wrong reminded him of danger, which brought him to remember the strange young man he had seen in the forest within the last hour. Ford felt a feeling of unease at the sudden reminder.

"Bill, there's something that I feel I should bring to your attention," Ford began in a lower tone.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Here we go again." He muttered. "I already told ya' that I don't remember anything else from my dumb dream." He stated, folding his arms.

"N-no, It's not that," Ford said with a short shake of his head. "There was a strange man that spoke to me earlier today. He said that he felt _danger _was near." He stated.

"Danger?" Bill repeated, tilting his head. "Was I nearby?" He jested with a smirk.

Ford ignored the comment and proceeded. "Thinking back on his warning, perhaps a trip wouldn't be the best idea." He said.

Bill offered Ford a look of annoyance. "So you found some dumb meatsack in the forest- who you've never met, I may add- and you're planning on just trusting him with this little conspiracy?" He asked.

"It seemed more serious than it may sound." Ford defended.

"Come on Sixer, I'm sure he's just worried about that Multibear that roams around." Bill said. "It's probably nothing."

"I refuse to put any of us in danger." Ford stated with a shake of his head.

"What's the worst that could happen? Honestly?" Bill asked. He smirked and have a nearly convincing look of fear. "Oh _no, _it's a gnome! It's gonna release its army on us!" He wailed. His smirk appeared once more. "I hope I don't get kidnapped!" He said.

Ford frowned. "That's nothing to be joking about." He chided in a firm manner.

Bill sighed and looked away. "All I'm saying is that it'd be nice to finally get away from this shack, even if it was just a couple days." He said in a muttered tone.

Ford gave a low hum and put his hands behind his back. "I'll tell you what," He mused. "Perhaps we wait a little while, just to be sure that nothing is truly wrong, and then we can discuss more about it sometime soon." He said with a shrug.

Bills face lit up. "Later like tomorrow?" He asked in a hopeful manner.

"Later like a week or so from now." Ford retorted. Bill gave a small frown, but nodded regardless.

* * *

After a bit, the Stan twins and Bill gathered around the table for dinner. The room was very quiet that night, save the occasional sounds of forks clanging lightly against the plates. Stan took a few quick glances at the others throughout the mealtime, neither of them seeming as if they had anything to say. He didn't wish to end the night on a silent note. He figured he should say _something_ at the very least.

"You've got work at 9:00, Blondie." Stan finally said. It wasn't the best way to make conversation, but it was a start.

Bill looked at Stan with a frown. "Is 10:00 feasible?" He asked, setting down his fork.

Stan gave a shake of his head. "Nope. With Soos off the job, and the twins gone, the gift shop needs all the help it can get it if there's only two people workin'." He said.

"Well what about _you__?" _Bill asked, folding his arms. "If Red and I work at your dumb shop, shouldn't you be doing something too?" He asked.

"Uh..." Stan muttered. "I get busy with other things." He stated, leaning back a bit in his chair.

"Busy counting cash you _don't _pay me." Bill grumbled in a muttered tone.

Ford heard this, and turned to look at his brother. "Wh- Stanley, you don't pay him?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Is there a need ta'?" Stan replied. "If he's livin' here anyway, there's nothing it'd be put to good use for anyway. I don't wanna see him wasting precious cash." He stated.

"That's not the point." Ford retorted. "You can't put him to work as much as you please without repaying him for his efforts." He said.

"Right," Stan muttered, looking down at the floor. _"Efforts." _He repeated with very little enthusiasm.

"I'm sure he gets more done than you realize." Ford said.

Stan scoffed. "You got some evidence to prove that, Pointdexter?"

"Not yet I don't." Ford retorted. Stan and Bill both looked at him in a confused manner. "But come tomorrow night I'm confident that I will." He said, folding his arms and cracking a small smile at his sudden plan.

Stanley was beyond confused. "Not followin'." He said.

"How about this, Stanley- tomorrow morning I'll set aside my work in the lab and assist in the gift shop. And while you're out doing whatever it is you excuse yourself to leave for throughout most weekdays, I'll take your job for the day." He volunteered.

"Hah!" Stan mocked with a smirk. "You? Do _my _job? Heh, I'd like to see how you mess this one up." He said with a laugh. "What's in it for me if you're wrong?" He asked.

Bill smirked. "Then you _won't _have all your cash burnt to a crisp." He answered, snapping his fingers and lighting a flame.

Stan narrowed his eyes at knowing that Bill could potentially hold plans of destroying his hard earned money that he had obtained throughout his career. Stanley Pines want going to lose his revenue that easily.

"Alright, fine." Stan grumbled. "I'll take your challenge, bro." He said, giving his brother a nod.

* * *

"Ya' know you didn't have to do that." Bill stated, sitting up as he pulled the beds comforter overtop his legs. The laboratory would get especially chilly at night. Bill didn't usually mind this, however he _did _find the warmth a bit more calming.

"Maybe not," Ford agreed with a shrug, placing his boots beside his nightstand. "But it seems like the right thing to do." He stated, grabbing the other side of the comforter and crawling into bed. "Not to mention that if I proved Stan wrong, he wouldn't be in a place to gloat." He said with a smirk.

Bill folded his arms. "I just think you're making a mistake. Fez tried to give Soos that Mr. Mystery job, but do you see him in charge of the place?" He asked.

"I can't help but feel as though you're underestimating me, Bill." Ford stated. He offered him a reassuring smile. "It's only going to be one day. How bad could it be?" He asked.

"Are you doing the whole outfit switcheroo?" Bill asked.

Ford froze for a moment. He hadn't asked Stan about that. They had mainly worked out the more basic details, along with a few apologies from their argument earlier. "I'm... not quite sure yet." Ford admitted.

"Well you're gonna have to tell me who's who, otherwise I won't know the difference." Bill muttered, remembering how the Stan twins had outsmarted him just last summer with that very trick of switching clothes.

"You have two eyes, maybe that feature will help you be able to tell us apart this time." Ford joked.

Bill's mouth hung open. He closed it after a moment and narrowed his eyes. "Oh, how dare you." He said, flicking Ford on the forehead before laying down on his side. He smirked at seeing Ford's surprised expression at the reaction he had received to his statement.

"Alright, I suppose I deserved that..." Ford admitted with a light sigh, taking his glasses off and shutting off the lamp. He leaned on his side and shut his eyes, Bill doing the same. Ford opened one eye to see Bill with his eyes shut. Ford smirked and took a finger, flicking Bill like he had done to him as revenge.

Bill opened his eyes and frowned at the action. He placed a hand atop his forehead and gave a short yet overdramatic pout.

"Kiss it better." Bill requested.

Ford raised an eyebrow at the childish request. "Bill, that's not going to do anything-"

"Kiss it better." Bill commanded in a firmer tone. Ford rolled his eyes and gave a small chuckle, leaning close and giving Bill a peck on the forehead.

"Better?" Ford asked. Bill nodded in response and was quick to return the gesture.

"Now we're even." Bill mumbled before shutting his eyes once more. Ford too shut his eyes and pulled the covers overtop them a bit better.

* * *

_"Are you sure now is the right time?" Stan, who stood by the living room doorframe, asked._

_Bill gave a nod of his head. "Now is the best time. Poor ol' vulnerable Fordsy, finally getting comfortable with that demon." He said.__ "Besides, if he gets any closer to Bill, their relationship bond may grow just strong enough to where we can't very well manipulate Stanford." Bill stated. _

_Stan hummed. "Good point." He muttered. __"But where is he now?" He asked._

_"I summoned Stanford to his laboratory." Bill answered. "That way you won't have to move him this time. Consider it a favor." He said. Stan looked at the other as__ Bill head down to the laboratory._

_Bill opened the vending machine, descending the stairs and walking into the elevator. He chose the button that would take him to Ford's laboratory and watched the elevator doors close._

_"Poor Fordsy." Bill said aloud. "Too busy opening up to the people in his life that he can't tell the difference between what's real and what's not." He said with a smirk._

_The elevator doors opened. Bill stepped out and made quick work of walking over towards the bedroom. Cautiously, he opened the door, seeing that Ford was sitting up in his bed, looking around in confusion. Ford made eye contact with Bill after hearing the door open, and saw the demon standing by the door. He leaned on the doorframe and gave a small wave to the scientist. _

_"You look confused." Bill observed. _

_Ford ran a hand through his hair before responding. "I'm... not sure. It may be a headache." He explained._

_"Headache?" Bill repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Uhoh, don't get me sick." He said. _

_Ford gave a shake of his head. "Headaches aren't contagious." He assured. _

_Bill formed a small glare on his face. "Well, I suppose someone like myself wouldn't know after you locked me in a_ chamber_ for all those years." He said, clenching his fists. _

_"What was that?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow. _

_Bill realized what he had said and bit his lip. He unclenched his fists and put on a false smile. "I said that I wouldn't know because I haven't been a meatsack for all those years." He lied.__ "Unlike _you, _smart guy." He added with a wink. _

_Ford furrowed his brows slightly. He was about to question further. He could have sworn that Bill had said something different. For now however, he pushed the thought aside and tilted his head. "Are you alright?" He asked. _

_Bill gave a nod of his head. "Sure, why wouldn't I be?" He asked. Remembering that the real Bill was likely asleep along with Ford, he cleared his throat before speaking. "Oh, uh... I just went upstairs to get some water. That's all." He lied._

_"Ah," Ford said. He watched Bill walk over towards the bed and laid back down. "Well then, goodnight." He said, taking his glasses off his face and folding them, placing them atop the nightstand. He put an arm underneath his pillow and shut his eyes._

_Bill smirked and got under the covers, laying beside the scientist. "Oh, by the way," He began. Ford opened an eye and looked at the other man. He noticed the smirk and became a bit suspicious. _

_"What is it?" Ford asked, his voice muffled slightly by the pillow. _

_Bill laid down beside Ford and said, "Stano told me that he wants to change outfits for tomorrow after all." _

_"Does he? Well, I suppose it makes things easier if he told you." Ford said with a small chuckle, shutting his eyes_ _once more. _

_Bill smirked and shut his eyes. _All according to plan. _He thought to himself. __About ten minutes went by, Bill waiting for Ford to fall back asleep. __Bill waved his hand in front of Ford's face just as a precaution in case Stanford still had yet to fall asleep. Bill kept his smirk and sat up in the bed to where he was on his knees. He put a hand in Ford's hair, and looked over at the clock on the wall. The clocks hands began moving backwards by seven minutes (The amount of time that Ford had been summoned into said dream.) Bill looked down at the old man as he began to fade away, Ford eventually disappearing. The time absence of his visit had been reset._

_The creature posing as Bill shut its eyes. In a split second, it transformed into the form of Ford now. It had never taken this form when Bill or Ford had been summoned, which made it a new experience. __The creature who now took the form of Ford crawled over to the right side of the bed; the side that Ford often slept on. The creature shut its eyes and put its hands up slightly, shutting its eyes once more in the act of summoning a new target. The creature had never used this being before, and was curious to see how the man would react._

_The creature put its arms down and laid on its side, just like Ford normally did when sleeping. It kept one eye open and watched as his other target appeared in front of him. __Bill's eyes opened slightly to see a figure of Ford smiling back at him with wide eyes._

_Bill narrowed his eyes. "What are you doing?" He asked in annoyance. The look Ford was giving him was a very strange one to see the moment he opened his eyes._

_"Admiring you." The supposed 'Ford' answered._

_Bill gave a look of unease. One quick glance at the man in front of him and Bill _knew _where he was._

_"Long time no see." Bill said with a smirk._

_Ford raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? It's only been a couple of minutes since we last spoke." He stated._

_Bill could tell that this being wasn't _truly _Ford, but he let it slide for the time being and played along with the creatures little trick._

_"Right, my mistake." Bill lied. __"Can I sleep now? Ya' know, _without _you lookin' at me like some sort of creep?" He asked._

_Ford smirked and inched closer to the man, petting the blondes cheek gently. "Sleep?" Ford repeated as if it were a question. "Are you sure?" He asked._

_Bill grabbed hold of Ford's hand and took it away from his face. "I've never been more sure." He stated, letting go of Ford's wrist and snuggling up under the covers. Perhaps if he were to fall asleep again, he would return to the real world. He had never known what would happen in that situation, being that his last form didn't require sleep. This was just another 'feature' he found pitiful about humans. Clearly if he were to take the easy way out of the dreamscape, the creature posing as Ford would know that he was aware of where he was. _

_Ford gave a low hum and placed a hand atop the side of Bills waist, caressing the side of the demon gently. Bill opened his eyes and shot a glare at the creature._

_"What are you doing?" Bill asked, his glare hardening as he held Ford's wrist once more with force. He narrowed his eyes at the creature. "Look, if you need something, you could just ask instead of being all touchy and disturbing." He said, wrinkling his nose at the creature._

_Ford's smirk was still apparent, as if it were the only facial expression he could use. "Oh, I wouldn't say I _need _anything," He began, positioning himself so that he was above the demon, as if to trap him. His smirk faded, and it turned into a small smile. "But I think..." He continued, taking a hand and placing it atop the blondes chest. "That it's what we _both _want..." He murmured, tilting his head and leaning down in an attempt to place a chaste kiss atop the others lips._

_Bill glared at this. His eyes flashed red, causing the creature to blink back in surprise. Bill growled and kicked the being posing as Ford in the stomach with his legs. Ford groaned and clutched his stomach, causing himself to fall onto Bill. The demon sneered and pushed the creature away from him._

_"Alright, enough is enough!" Bill exclaimed. "I'm done playing along with your pathetic little game here, Shifter!" He said, glaring as Ford groaned slightly._

_"Game?" Ford repeated. He looked as Bill sat up, glaring down at him. "Whatever do you mean, Bill?" He asked._

_"You've gotta be kidding me!" Bill said, rolling his eyes. "Do you think I'm a fool? Huh?" He asked_, _his glare only hardening. __"I know you're not Stanford."_ _He stated. _

_Ford gave a frown. He brushed a spare piece of hair out of Bill's face as he spoke. "Oh, come now, my dear-"_

_"Don't call me that." Bill commanded in a firm manner. "Don't you __ever call me that, do you understand?" He exclaimed with narrowed eyes of disgust. "Don't forget that I was the one who put you in this special position of power in the first place." He added_ _with a growl. _

_Ford narrowed his eyes and snarled at the demon. His facial features formed into a small smirk. He too sat up in the bed, looking at Bill and clapping his hands slowly and insincerely._

_"Bravo, Bill Cipher." The creature praised. "It seems that your intelligence of this world hasn't changed since you've become a... human." He said, looking at Bills human form and giving a look of displeasure. _

_"I'm not an idiot, Shifter." Bill stated. "You can't fool me, no matter _what _you try to trick me into."__ He said, offering the creature narrowed eyes at his recent trick that he had attempted to drag him into._

_Ford gave a slow nod. "You're correct. It seems that I can't." He stated. He looked at Bill and gave a mischievous smirk. "Unfortunately for you, however, your human wasn't so smart." He said._

_"What are you talking about?" Bill asked, his narrowed eyes still set on the shapeshifter.__ "My human?" He repeated in the utmost confusion._

_"Indeed. Stanford Pines, if I'm not mistaken?" Ford asked. He gave a low chuckle at the demons confused look. "You see, all it took was taking the form of you, keeping him closer than you've ever achieved, and using a bit of hypnosis on the poor, gullible human." He said._

_"You took the form of me? A-And-?" Bill asked, wide eyes of disturbance. His facial expression turned into a colder glare. "Way to abuse your power there, you idiot!" He exclaimed._

_"I don't remember there being any restrictions." The creature replied. "Therefore showing that I have no way of abusing this power you gave me."_ _He said. "Besides, I only did what had to be done in order to get Stanford to fall into our trick. Even if it meant taking a more... sexual measure." He said with the same smirk Bill wished to smack off his face. _

_"Watch it." Bill snapped. "Dreamscape or not, I can easily burn you to a crisp." He threatened._

_Ford smirked once more. "If you took that action, it would be simply _priceless _to see the look on your face when I would take the form of poor, helpless Stanford." He said.__ "You would see him burn, turning to ashes before your very eyes."_

_Bill glared at this. "He's done nothing to you." He stated with narrowed eyes._

_The creature gave an insincere laugh. "Oh, he's done a lot to me." He said. The creature closed its eyes and took the form of Bill. He smirked. "In a few different contexts." He added_ _in the demons voice_ _that made the real Bill's blood boil. _

_Bill growled and watched the shapeshifter turn into Ford once more. __"Alas," Ford continued. "The human believes it was merely a dream." He said. __"Which explains your question of why he never told you."_

_Bill huffed. "__What did you summon me here for in the first place, Shapeshifter?" He asked._

_"I __wanted to see the famous Bill Cipher in his new, fleshy form for myself." Ford admitted. He put on a smile. "And besides, I have missed you." He added. _

_Bill narrowed his eyes. "Save the sweet-talk, if you're finally deciding to bring me here, you must want something." __He stated._

_The shapeshifter hummed. "You're right, there _is _something I want." He said._

_"And what would that be?" Bill asked._

_"Immortality." The creature revealed._

_Bill raised an eyebrow. "What?" He blurted out. "Why?" He asked._

_"According to our old deal, I am limited to Stanford Pines' dreamscape._ _I cannot come and go through others dreamscapes. When Stanford dies, so will I." Ford stated. "Because of this, I want immortality that will free me from this limited lifetime." He said._

_"Interesting." Bill said, nodding slowly and giving a low hum. "Unfortunately, thanks to this new body of mine, I can't make those kinds of deals anymore, pal." He stated._

_"Try." The shapeshifter commanded through clenched teeth._

_Bill smirked. "No can do, Shifty." He teased._

_Ford growled. "You can't escape until I let you leave." He stated. "You don't know how." He said._

_"Don't I?" Bill asked in a mocking manner. He raised a hand and put it close to his head, bringing it up towards his hair. The shapeshifter glared at the demons attempt and dove towards Bill, grasping both his wrists and pinning him down to keep his hands out of reach from his forehead._

_"You're not leaving until you give me what I want!" The creature roared._

_"I may not be my normal self, but if you're going around and demanding things from me, you're not gonna get anything that'll be beneficial to ya'." Bill stated._

_The shapeshifter glared. He closed his eyes and summoned a rope into the dreamscape. He used his knee to sock Bill in the stomach. The demon hissed and clutched his stomach, laughing at the sudden pain. The creature used this moment to grab the rope in his hands after taking them away from Bill. He wrapped the rope around the demon tightly a total of seven times, tying it afterwards._

_"Wh- hey!" Bill cried. "What do you think you're doing?" He asked. _

_"If you won't try," Ford began, looking at Bill with a mocking smile at the blondes current state. "Then I'll have to get it out of you." He said._ _He grabbed hold of Bill and pulled him up so that he sat on his knees. _

_Bill scoffed. "Really? And just how do you plan to do that?" He asked with an eye roll._

_The shapeshifter posing as Ford gave a shrug. "In a matter of reality hours, Stanford will wake up, and after a bit of time he will grow confused as to why you won't wake up. He'll grow concerned and try to help poor little you." He said with a smirk._

_Bill narrowed his eyes. "Well I can't tell you what I don't know." He reminded._

_Ford hummed. "Perhaps not," He began. "But I'm confident that the answer will come to you after a bit of thinking." He said. __Bill glared and spat on the shapeshifters face. The creature growled and lifted a hand up, wondering if the six-fingered hand would make a slap more painful. He struck Bill across the face, only to be greeted with a laugh from the demon._

_The shapeshifter narrowed his eyes. "You won't be laughing for long." He threatened._

_"Give me what you've got." Bill challenged. "It won't make a difference on your behalf." He stated. _

_Ford was about to respond to the statement until he heard the door of the laboratory bedroom open. Ford turned to look at said door to see a fellow shapeshifter posing as Stanley standing there. He looked at the others in the room and gave an eye roll, looking at Bill whom the creature assumed to be the other adult shapeshifter._

_"Look what you've done, Edward." Stan chided. "You let the human tie you up."_

_Ford gave a shake of his head. "Actually, I tied up the demon." He corrected with a smirk._

_The shapeshifter posing as Stan was confused. The shapeshifter who was named Edward changed out of the form of Ford, only to mimic Bill's. He saw Stans smirk and turned back into Ford._

_"There's somethin' we need to talk about." Stan stated._

_Ford frowned. "Can it wait? I have the key to my immortality here, and I can't afford to leave him unsupervised." He said._

"Our _immortality." Stan corrected with narrowed eyes._

_"Yes, yes, Jenna. Whatever floats your boat." Ford said with an eye roll._

_The shapeshifter posing as Stan glared. "Out here. Now." He said in a stern manner._

_The male shapeshifter growled before getting off the bed, walking over to the other shifter._

_"Make it quick." __Ford commanded. The other shapeshifter nodded and shut the door._

_Bill watched the two leave and smirked. _I'm disappointed, Shifty. I really thought you would have more sense than to leave me by myself. _Bill thought to himself. He __looked down at the ropes circling his arms and torso and looked down at his hands that hung__ uselessly by his hips. He balled them into fists and grinned at the blue fire that emerged from his palms. He tried lifting his hands up as close to the rope as he could manage in hopes of setting the rope aflame. His wrists stung at the tightness of the rope wrapped around him. He ignored the stinging sensation and forced his wrists up higher, _just _high enough to where the ropes caught on fire._

_Bill smirked as blue flame was quick to spread along the entirety of the rope. He snapped, and the flames disappeared, showing the burnt and broken rope that was now a charcoal black color. Bill yanked his arms beside him, causing the burnt rope to crumble to pieces below him._

_The demon was quick to shut his eyes. He grabbed hold of the hair atop his head and put in hope that the clock on the wall was doing it's resetting. Bill smirked when he felt himself becoming lighter and lighter with every passing second._

_"I don't have time for this!" Ford cried with a glare, opening the bedroom door open once more and ignoring the other shapeshifters words. He looked in front of him, seeing no sign of Bill. __The shapeshifters both gasped and stormed into the room, looking around to look for the demon in case he were hiding. Stan looked by the dressers whilst Ford looked on the bed. He crawled atop it to see burnt rope there._

_Ford glared. "Dammit, I had him!" He roared._

_Stan looked up. "What, what happened?" He asked._

_"The little pest burnt the rope and escaped." The shapeshifter posing as Ford informed._

_Stan frowned. "Cantcha' just being him back here?" He asked._

_"It's no use for the time being." Ford retorted with a shake of his head._ _"We need a new plan. One that even _he _couldn't see coming." He stated._

_The other shapeshifter hummed. "What if he was telling the truth? Maybe he really _doesn't _know." Stan said with a shrug._

_"Only an idiot would fall for that pathetic excuse of his." Ford said. "And unlike you, Jenna, _I'm _no idiot."_

_Jenna, the shapeshifter posing as Stan, glared. However the creature opted not to fight back with the other. __It wouldn't be beneficial in any way._

_Ford looked down at the ropes ashes once more. __"If he won't comply with my demands, I'll have no better choice than to kill Bill Cipher." He grumbled. _

* * *

Bill woke up with a smirk, whereas Ford woke up silently. The two had awoken in unison from their separate times in the dreamscape. However, being that the shapeshifter and Bill had to reset the time for each of their individual visits, the same amount of time had passed in the dreamscape for them both.

Ford had half-lidded eyes, but still looked up in confusion. "What in the world is going on?" He muttered to himself.

Bill was hesitant. He looked at Ford and was debating on whether or not he should inform the scientist of what was going on. Now that Bill was aware of why Ford had been unconscious for so long a few months ago, he wondered if Ford would believe such a thing. Surely he would, as the man had encountered many unusual things throughout his lifetime.

Even more however, Bill wasn't sure if he would be able to comfortably tell Ford that what happened (And what would likely happen in the future) was his fault. Had Bill not given the shapeshifter such power back then, had he not given him access to Ford's dreamscape in the past, this problem wouldn't currently exist.

Bill looked at Ford and offered him a shrug. "Trouble sleeping?" He responded.

"I suppose so..." Ford muttered, laying on his side and shutting his eyes. Bill frowned and mirrored the other man's action, shutting his eyes. He curled up slightly and sighed, hoping to get some rest without being interrupted by the shapeshifter family again. He wondered when they would target himself or Ford again. Luckily the shapeshifters can only summon Ford and Bill, being that it is Ford's mindscape. However, Bill was the one that caused it and _let_ the shifters hide away in his dreamscape, meaning that he too had vulnerability to them.

Bill fell into sleep after a few minutes. He hoped that the shapeshifter wouldn't go for Ford that night.

**I finished the chapter. Yay! Again, I apologize for the longer wait for an update. I'm hoping that this was worth the wait.**

**I'm sure this was confusing. I apologize for that. This dreamscape situation goes along with the long dream Ford had been stuck in for previous chapters. I might have to edit those older chapters a bit, in case there were bits of dialog that don't add up to what's actually happening. Basically, the supposed "People" That are stuck in Ford's dreamscape are Shapeshifters. The subject is confusing, and there will be further explanations in the next chapter, and so on. If you have any confusion, feel free to point it out so that I can clear it up in the next chapter or so.**

**The next chapter's wait won't be as long. It will be up soon! c: **


	47. A Recurring Enigma

**As a warning, there's a very brief situation of harassment in this chapter. Nothing horrible, just...**

**You'll see. **

**Here is chapter 47 of "Welcome Home"! **

Thankfully, the rest of the night had gone by peacefully. Bill shifted a bit in the bed. His eyes opened slowly, and he looked beside him to see Ford still sleeping soundly under the covers. Bill looked up at the clock to see that it was currently 9:02AM. He hummed and put an arm on Ford's shoulder, shaking the scientist in an attempt to wake him. Ford gave a low moan at the sudden gesture, moving slightly and laying atop his back. He placed an arm over his forehead as his eyes opened, staring straight up.

Ford looked next to him, seeing Bill in a half sitting, half laying position. He offered the blonde a small smile before shutting his eyes once more, the side of his head buried into his pillow as if he were falling back asleep. Bill noticed this and gave a shake of his head.

"Nope," Bill said, shaking him again. Ford groaned and looked at Bill, a gleam of annoyance in his eyes.

"Do you need something?" Ford murmured, giving a weak raise of an eyebrow.

"You have work today, smarty-pants." Bill reminded.

Ford frowned. "Paperwork can wait another hour." He muttered, pulling the covers overtop his head and snuggling against his pillow.

Bill rolled his eyes. He got off the bed and walked over to Ford's side, turning on the lamp on his nightstand. He snuck back over to his side and got back on the bed. A bit of Ford's hair was poking out from underneath the covers. Bill extended an arm out to grab hold of the part of the bedsheets that Ford was under. In a quick motion, Bill yanked the sheets away from the scientist, exposing him to the room that was now lit courtesy of the lamp.

Ford growled and squinted his eyes, rubbing them with a fist. He looked at Bill and huffed.

"What in the world was that for?" Ford asked with an annoyed glance.

"If ya' sleep in any longer, you're never gonna hear the end of your brothers complaints." Bill pointed out.

"My brothers..." Ford began with narrowed eyes of confusion. His eyes shot open, and he remembered what it was Bill was referring to. "Oh, oh! Right!" He exclaimed, rolling out of bed and running his hands through his hair as his eyes proceeded to adjust to the light. He walked towards his dresser and grabbed hold of his hairbrush, bringing it up towards his hair.

Bill's eyes widened. "Let me, let me!" He pleaded, scooting closer to the edge and falling off the bed. He ignored the pain in his shoulder from falling and stood up, rushing over towards the other man. Ford looked at him in confusion.

"Are you alright?" Ford questioned.

"Can I brush it?" Bill asked.

"Brush my hair?" Ford asked, raising an eyebrow. Bill gave an eager nod, looking at the other man's fluffy morning hair. Ford gave a slight blush and handed Bill the hairbrush, looking away and down at the floor. "I-I suppose so." Ford said. Bill grinned and eagerly took hold of the hairbrush, bringing it up to the scientists hair and making gentle strokes through it. Ford smiled and sighed as the brush lightly passed by his scalp.

"Stanford Pines, you've got some of the best fur I've ever seen." Bill praised. Ford gave a light chuckle and shivered as the hairbrush brushed at the back of his head.

"Yours is surprisingly smooth for the crazy, reckless man you are." Ford replied, taking his right hand and raking his fingers through Bill's hair. Bill cracked a small smile at the gentle touch.

"Compliment taken." Bill said.

The two looked at each other with warm smiles for a moment, until the loud sound of the bedroom door being thrown open caught their ears in a sudden pitch that made them both flinch. Their eyes widened as they saw Stan barge in with a large smile.

"Time for work, Stanford!" Stan said with a wide grin. He looked forward and saw that his brother wasn't in bed. Stan raised an eyebrow and turned to look beside him, seeing Ford and Bill standing by the dresser with their hands near each other's heads.

Stanley narrowed his eyes. "What the heck is goin' on here, Sixer?" He asked in a suspicious manner.

"I'm brushing his hair!" Bill answered without hesitation. He grinned. "I tell ya', Stano, your brothers got some nice fur!" He said with a cheeky smile.

"Fur?" Stan repeated with a raised eyebrow.

Bill shrugged. "Fur, hair, call it what you want." He said.

Stan hummed. "Well, fate still stands- you've got work, Ford." He said before leaving the bedroom and shutting the door behind him.

Ford looked at Bill in disbelief. "How on _earth _did you do that?" He asked.

Bill shrugged. "There's nothing suspicious about hair brushing. Besides, he's clueless! He has no idea." He assured.

Stanley shut the door and walked towards the elevator with a suspicious frown. "There's somethin' goin' on, and I don't like it." He muttered to himself.

* * *

Wendy Corduroy was walking to work, a sack lunch in hand as she headed towards the door of the Mystery Shack's gift shop. She walked up the stairs and towards the door, turning the handle and walking inside. She walked over to her ordinary spot behind the cash register with her typical bored facial expression. She sat down and set her lunch bag atop the counter beside her.

"Oh, hey Wendy." A voice greeted. Wendy lit up at the sound of a specific familiar man, and looked around the gift shop with her eyes to see Soos standing there, a broom in hand.

"Soos?" Wendy began. The handyman gave a nod. "What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I've missed working here," Soos admitted. "I figured that I should start working again now that the situations with Abuelita got sorted out." He said with a smile. "Well, for the most part, anyway." He said.

"Did you tell her the truth?" Wendy asked.

Soos started at the question. He looked down slowly with a small frown. "Uh, n-not exactly." He muttered. He looked up at his co-worker. "Abuelita wouldn't believe me. I know she wouldn't. I... I can't explain all of this to her. It would break her heart." He said.

Wendy gave a hum. The two looked over at the vending machine as Stan walked out in his ordinary Mr. Mystery outfit. He acknowledged the presence of Wendy for all but two seconds before his attention was turned to Soos.

"Soos?" Stan addressed. "What're ya' doing here?" He asked.

The handyman chuckled. "I guess I'll be getting that a lot today." He said to himself. "I missed working, and wanted to come back."

Stan gave a short groan, rolling his eyes. _"Great. _Now with you around, I'm gonna lose that bet with my brother for sure." He grumbled.

"Bet?" Wendy repeated, tilting her head. "Mr. Pines, what are you talking about?" She questioned.

"My dumb brother and I made this bet last night to see if Bill actually gets anything done around here." Stan informed, folding his arms. "Now with Soos here, the place is gonna look spic and span." He stated as the vending machines door opened.

"Should... should I leave?" Soos asked, pointing to the door with his thumb as he wore a small frown.

"That will be unnecessary." Ford retorted, looking down at his wrist as he adjusted the black suit jacket sleeve that he had changed into. "I can keep a look after Bill." He said.

Stan looked at his brother in confusion. "Ford, why are you dressed like me?" He wondered.

"Bill had told me last night that you wanted me to dress this way for today." Ford responded.

Stan narrowed his eyes. "I never said that." He stated.

"You didn't?" Ford asked, an eyebrow raised. "Oh. Well, then I suppose I'll go change..." He said, turning around to open the vending machine once more.

"Nah, keep it on." Stan said, giving a wave of his hand. "Ya' look more professional that way." He stated.

"Are you sure?" Ford asked.

Stan gave a nod. "Yeah, I'm sure." He assured. "Just avoid the angry tourists..." He added in more of a mutter.

"Angry tourists?" Ford repeated, tilting his head.

Stan paused for a moment. He had forgotten that he had yet to tell his brother about the angry tourists from the other day. He scratched the back of his neck and gave an awkward chuckle. "Oh, right. Uh... I kinda pissed off some tourists the other day. So... so just avoid them, and you'll be fine." He said.

"That's not very reassuring." Ford stated with half-lidded eyes. Stan muttered something under his breath that Ford couldn't quite catch, and watched as Stan headed out of the gift shop and into the living room.

Wendy looked at the vending machine as it opened to reveal Bill emerging from the laboratory. Bill wore a dark green question mark shirt, identical to Soos'. She rolled her eyes and offered the demon a miniature glare.

Bill looked over at Ford who stood beside him and grinned. "Hey, hey! someone's looking sharp!" He complimented.

"Not so bad youself." Ford replied. "Though I'm surprised you're wearing that- I thought you didn't like your work uniform." He observed.

Bill shrugged. "You're playing dress up, so I figured I would too." He said.

Wendy gave narrowed eyes at the two, whereas Soos chuckled. Bill looked at Soos and raised an eyebrow.

"So, Stanley Danley put ya' back to work, huh?" Bill asked. He smirked. "This bet is gonna be a piece of cake." He said to himself, rubbing his hands together mischievously.

Ford held a finger up. "Well, about that," He began. Bill looked back at Stanford and could already tell that bad news was coming. "The bet wasn't about the gift shop's progress for today in general, just yours specifically." He stated. "Meaning," Ford continued, muttering in a tone that showed his personal distaste for the meaning. "With Soos on the job now, you're going to have to work extra hard in order to prove that you can work like he can." Ford said.

Bill scowled and clenched his fists. "Are you _kidding me?" _He cried, grabbing the hair at the top of his head in frustration. He looked over at Soos and glared. "Alright, Question mark, you have _got _to go!" He commanded, walking towards the handyman and pointing towards the door.

"W-What?" Soos began in confusion, looking behind him as Bill pushed on his back in attempt to move him to the door.

"You're not... gonna... sabotage this... for me!" Bill tried to say, struggling to push the other man to the door.

"Bill, Soos is working today." Ford stated, putting his hands on his hips. "You're just going to have to deal with that." He said.

Bill gave a long groan as he tried to push Soos, stumbling to the floor and growling in annoyance. He looked up at Ford and stood up, rubbing the side of his head after hitting the floor so hard.

"Who's side are you on, guy who made this dumb deal in the first place?" Bill asked.

"I made this deal with Stan for your benefit, if you can recall." Ford pointed out.

Bill rolled his eyes. "Right. _Benefit." _He grumbled under his breath, folding his arms.

"I'm not going to willingly allow you to kick Soos out of the gift shop from working simply for your sake." Ford said. "It's not right."

"I-I really don't mind leaving, Mr. Ford." Soos said, putting a finger up hesitantly.

Bill was quick to nod. "See? See? He doesn't wanna work today!" He said to Ford, putting his arms out as if he were presenting Soos to the scientist.

Ford folded his arms. "Bill," He began in a warning tone.

the demon groaned and threw his head back. "Ugh, _fine."_ He complied, looking back at Ford with narrowed eyes. "But you're not making this any easier." He stated.

Wendy blinked at the demons behavior. "Dude, you're acting like a child." She stated. Bill shot a glare at the teenager.

"As long as you don't slack off, you'll be fine." Ford assured, ignoring Wendy's statement. He grabbed the fez hat that was on the counter and placed it atop his head, his hair sticking out a bit.

"In that case, I'm doomed." Bill groaned.

* * *

For most of the morning, work had gone by fine. Wendy had snuck off to the roof, which gave Bill a good opportunity to run the cash register. He preferred this, as it was better than stocking items on the shelves.

Bill looked forward as a woman came up to the register. She held a hat and keychain in her hands, which Bill was quick to ring up. He gave the items to the lady and handed her the change with a wink. The customer giggled and walked out of the gift shop with heart eyes. Ford noticed this, but decided to let it go.

The next woman in line, who had black hair and hazel eyes, put her items on the counter. Bill was quick to ring it up and put the items in a Mystery Shack tote bag she had bought. Bill made a joke that made the woman laugh, and she placed a kiss atop his cheek which Bill eagerly accepted. He offered the woman a smile.

"You're a gorgeous man," The woman complimented.

"Oh, I get that a lot here." Bill replied with a smirk.

the woman laughed. "I'm not surprised," She said. "Would you like to join me at the diner tonight? You know, like a date?" She asked.

"Nope!" Bill answered without hesitation. The woman frowned at the answer and took her things, leaving the shop with her nose in the air. "Next!" He called.

Ford watched the woman leave with narrowed eyes. He was just grateful that Bill had declined the offer just as fast as he had accepted the kiss.

The next person in line was a man with short, brown hair and a mustache, as well as a grey tank top. He was a bit taller than Bill, and was quite clearly muscular. He slammed his large hands on the counter instead of any items, which confused Bill. He looked at the man for a moment, who looked back at him with a sneer.

Bill gave a look of unease. "Uh, you're gonna have to pay for something if you're-"

"I need help reachin' something." The man spat with a glare.

Bill looked up at the man, then down at his feet, and up at him again. It was obvious that Bill was shorter than the stranger. He narrowed his eyes slightly. "Look meatsack, you're taller than I am. Whatever it is, you can go get it yourself." He said, folding his arms.

The brown haired man growled in a low tone. "That's fine," he began, very little enthusiasm in his voice. "I'll just go get whoever runs the place and tell em' that their employee is denying the assistance of a customer." He stated.

Bill narrowed his eyes at the man for a moment. If the man we're to take such an action, it wouldn't look good on his behalf of the deal. The demon rolled his eyes. "Alright, alright." Bill said with furrowed eyebrows. "What do ya' need?" He asked.

"One a' those snowglobes on the shelf." The man answered. Bill sighed and walked over to the shelf at the other side of the room. He looked up and got on his tip-toes, reaching up and grabbing the snowglobe, holding onto it. Bill's feet touched the ground once more, and he handed the snowglobe to the man who had requested it.

"Ya' need me to ring it up for ya'?" Bill asked.

The customer hummed. "Nope." He muttered. Bill raised an eyebrow and watched as the man shook the snowglobe for a moment. After a bit, he looked back at Bill, keeping the snowglobe in one hand. Bill gave him a look of confusion.

"Thanks, pretty boy." The man said, turning around and giving Bill a quick smack on his bottom. Bill yelped in surprise at the sudden action. His eyes flashed red for a moment before returning to yellow as he glared at the man, watching as he walked towards the door, the customer still carrying the snowglobe. Bill looked behind him at Ford with his mouth hung open, a look of surprise on his face. Bill stood frozen in place as he proceeded to give Ford a look of disbelief. Ford, however, kept his gaze on the man leaving with a cold glare, a glare that showed he was out for blood now. Bill watched as Ford walked towards the door with his fists clenched.

The brown haired man left the gift shop without bothering to pay for his snowglobe. He was about to head down the stairs towards his car, until he felt a strong hand grasp his shoulder and pull him backwards. The man gasped and groaned as two hands pinned him against the wooden wall. He looked at the person in front of him to see a death stare apparent on the supposed Mr. Mystery's face.

"Care to explain what the hell that was?" Ford roared.

The man looked at Stanford with wide eyes. "U-Uhm, I-"

"If I _ever_ see you harass Bill like that again, if I so much as see you _near _him, I'll make sure you never have the ability to show your face around here again, do you understand me?" Ford shouted with a glare.

"B-But I-" The man began.

"Get out of here!" Ford demanded with rage in his tone, pointing over at the parking lot and staring the other man down. The younger man nodded frantically and slipped out of Ford's grasp, running to his car. He tripped on his ankle and fell to the ground, shattering the snowglobe. He groaned and hobbled over towards his car.

Ford watched him leave with a look of dominance, his nose scrunched at the younger man. Ford adjusted his suits outershirt, tugging it down slightly before walking back inside.

Everyone in the gift shop turned to look at the old man whom had come in from outside after hearing the ruckus and shouting. A few onlookers who had seen the incident of the stranger take an advancement on Bill gave the supposed Mr. Mystery smiles, along with minor applause. Ford shrunk slightly at realizing that all eyes in the gift shop were now on him. He avoided eye contact with the others in the gift shop and walked over to Bill, who still stood over by the high shelf.

Bill looked at the other man with his mouth hung open slightly, surprised at Ford for confronting the stranger in such a manner. "You uh... you didn't have to do that, ya' know." He said in a mutter.

A random woman in the gift shop looked at Bill as she passed by and offered him a wink. He grinned and winked back.

"Does this happen often?" Ford asked.

"The flirting?" Bill questioned.

"No- well, yes but, I meant the other thing." Ford clarified.

Bill shrugged. "The flirting happens all the time. The touchy touchy... not so much." He said, drawing his eyes to the floor.

"Has it happened before today?" Stanford asked, putting his hands behind his back and raising an eyebrow.

"Just once before." Bill answered. Ford gave a low hum of distaste. Bill smirked. "But it's good to know that if it _does_ happen, you'll kick their asses." He said with a grin.

Bill looked up behind Ford to see Wendy climbing down the ladder that led to the roof. She put a finger up to her lips, motioning for him not to say anything to Ford. She didn't want Ford nor Stan finding out that she regularly snuck out to the roof to avoid work. Bill didn't say anything, however just before Wendy could turn around, she heard Ford speak, not turning around as he spoke.

"Slacking off and skipping work responsibilities again, Wendy?" Ford asked, his hands still behind his back. Wendy's eyes widened, and she got off the the ladder, her feet touching the ground now. Ford turned around and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh," Wendy blurted out suddenly, awkwardly taking a step back. "I was uh... just doing some work on the roof." She lied with an uneasy chuckle.

Soos looked at Wendy and chuckled. "You're_ so_ busted, dude." He commented before going back to sweep the floor.

"Work on the roof, you say?" Ford asked. "That's funny, I seem to recall you using the same excuse on Stanley just last week." He stated.

Wendy was silent for a moment. She now realized that Ford was much more vigilant than Stan was. "Heh... It's a... big job, Mr. Pines." She proceeded to lie.

Ford gave Wendy an unconvinced look that told her Stanford wasn't buying her story.

"Back to work, please." Ford said to Wendy, grabbing the 8-Ball cane leaning against the wall and pointing it over in the cash registers direction. "There's going to be a tour in two minutes." He stated. Ford looked through the window of the gift shop's door, and saw a few people emerging from their vehicles.

"You sure you can handle leading a tour, Sixer?" Bill asked.

Ford merely shrugged. "My brother says whatever comes out of his mouth, and even then people admire the junk he presents to them here." He said with a chuckle. "I'm sure I can handle _one _tour-"

"Stan Pines?" An old woman spoke aloud. Ford raised an eyebrow at the mention of his brothers name. At remembering that he was dressed in Stan's ordinary work attire, he turned to look at the door, seeing an elderly woman with her hair in a bun, holding a rolled up newspaper in her hand and smacking it against her other. There was a small mob of people behind this woman, all who wore glares that were directed towards Ford.

_I suppose these are the angry tourists Stanley mentioned. _Ford thought to himself. He gulped, and took a few steps backwards.

"Uhm," Ford began, nearly tripping on his ankle as he took one of the steps back. "W-Welcome to the Mystery Shack." He said, giving a sheepish smile and lifting the 8-Ball cane in the air slightly. The old woman turned to look at another member of the mob, and they gave a nod at each other with narrowed eyes.

"Get 'im!" The woman shouted, waving her newspaper over in Ford's direction. Stanford looked at the people as they ran towards him in a rush. He furrowed his brows and took another step back before leaping forward, placing his hands on the wooden ground as he performed a swift somersault through the mob of people. He landed on his feet and looked behind him to see the angry tourists pushing and shoving each other to try and find him. He adjusted his red ribbon tie, and headed towards the door. Halfway there, the woman noticed him.

"He's getting away!" The elder shouted, pointing at the supposed Stanley. Ford looked behind him as he ran towards the door, hoping to escape the people chasing him. He didn't wish to use the cane or violence, though he would if need be.

Bill watched Ford leave, noticing the scientists look of horror He now wore on his face. Bill smirked. "Smooth, Sixer! Very smooth!" He said, cupping a hand towards his mouth as Ford rushed out the door in a hurry.

"Should we help him?" Soos asked.

Wendy shrugged. "I'd like to help, but not as much as I'd like _not _to." She said before crossing her legs atop the gift shop counter and leaning back, opening a magazine to read.

Bill noticed a customer was by the cash register that Wendy was supposed to be running. He narrowed his eyes at this and walked over to the redhead.

"Hey icebag, you've got customers waiting." Bill said. Wendy looked up at him for a total of two seconds before shrugging, drawing her eyes back to her magazine.

Bill growled. "Well if you're not gonna do your job, I will." He stated. He walked behind the counter and grabbed the side of her shoulder, pushing her quickly. "Scoot!" He commanded. Wendy shouted in a high pitch at the sudden push as she fell off the chair and onto the floor. She looked up and glared at her co-worker for interrupting her reading.

Bill called out to the next customer in line. The customer place the merchandise on the counter, and Bill was quick to ring it up. Every customer he served counted towards success in the bet, and he was going to make sure he helped as many people as he could before the day was over.

The demon watched as Wendy walked through the 'Employees only' door. He smirked and turned back to the register, to see a short, elderly woman standing there. She carried no merchandise with her, and she wore a black cloak that covered the majority of her face, her long, grey hair noticeable as it hung down the sides of her face and out of the cloak slightly.

Bill had to lean over the counter to look down at the woman whom was but half his height.

"Hey grandma, ya' missed the funeral." Bill mocked with a smirk.

The woman folded her arms before speaking. "It wouldn't be wise to mock me, _Bill_ _Cipher." _She said. Her voice was loud and raspy. Bill could have sworn he had heard the same one somewhere. He cringed at hearing the old woman use his real last name and put his hands out, shaking them slightly at the woman.

"H-Hey! Keep it down, will ya'?" Bill asked. He looked around him to see if anyone was watching them. At seeing no onlookers paying attention, he signed in relief. "Do I know you?" Bill asked, narrowing his eyes at the woman.

"Yes, we've met." The woman responded. "And if you come with me, I have something that will be of use to you." She said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Come with you where? And why?" He asked. "Not sure if you can tell, but I'm kinda in the middle of working, lady." He stated.

"If you wish to rid both yourself and Stanford from a growing threat, you'll follow me." The woman replied.

Bill just stared at the woman for a moment. "You pulling my leg here, lady?" He asked.

"Sure I am, hence the use of your true last name." The woman said in a sarcastic manner, folding her arms for a moment. "Now come." She beckoned, waving a hand towards the door.

Bill hummed and looked beside him at Soos as the handyman placed the broom beside the window. "Hey, Question mark, ya' mind covering for me?" He asked.

Soos shrugged. "Sure, dawg." He answered.

"I owe you nothing!" Bill said with a grin before following the old woman towards the door.

"I'm cool with that! "Soos eagerly responded, watching as Bill walked out the gift shop door and chuckling.

Bill closed the door to the gift shop, stepping outside and looking around to make sure no one was nearby or listening. Bill turned to look at the woman and folded his arms.

"What do you want?" Bill asked.

"That's no way to address a lady." The woman chided. She grabbed the front of her black cloak and pulled it off her head so that her face was apparent. Bill's eyes widened when he recognized the woman to be none other than the hand witch.

"It's you." Bill began, still shocked from the sight of the woman.

"Yes, and I'm sure to have a long list of making others feel alienated if you're talking like _that." _The hand witch said, rolling her eyes. "I'm going to offer you something that will take some weights off both yours and Stanford's shoulders." She began.

Bill hummed. "What, ya' gonna kill Stano so that he's not the 'growing threat' you mentioned?" Bill asked. "Now that I think about it, that wouldn't be so bad on _my _part. But you can't kill him no matter what I think. Sixer would be devastated." Bill said.

"I have no intentions to kill Stan." The witch assured. She looked away and muttered, "No matter how much of a jerk he is." She added.

Bill hummed. "So what're you offering?" He questioned. "And what's the cost?" He continued.

"Lucky for you, my services will be free of charge." The hand witch replied.

"That sounds suspicious." Bill said, narrowing his eyes.

"You have nothing I want." The witch stated. "Nothing you own is of value to me." She said.

Bill and the hand witch turned in unison when they heard a sudden shout from Ford as he ran from one side of the parking lot to the other. He was still being chased down by the tourists. The scientist mentally scolded himself. So he could survive thirty years in the multiverse, escaping giant alien mobs, yet he couldn't seem to escape a small mob of tourists that consisted of about ten people and an elder. Pathetic, really.

The hand witch turned to look at Bill with a deadpan look. "So _that _is what your boyfriend has become since I last saw him forty years ago?" She asked with unamusement in her voice.

Bill's lips were parted for a moment. "He's... he's not my boyfriend." He muttered with an awkward chuckle.

"But the two of you are close, I've seen?" The hand witch questioned.

"Well, yeah." Bill admitted. "It's kinda weird, really. Adjusting to a humanized life was strange enough, but actually caring about him is-" Bill began, before stopping. "Wait, from what you've _seen?" _He asked with wide eyes.

The witch nodded. "I've seen in my meditation visions that you're both growing very close with each other." She said. "At first I had wondered why I was seeing such things, until I saw a great threat inside Stanford's mind that was very frightening."

"Hold on, slow down!" Bill commanded. "Are you telling me you know? A-About the shapeshifters?" He asked.

"Yes." The hand witch revealed. "Which is why I'm coming to you today." She said. "I wish to offer you something. A tool that will help you resolve the troubles."

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Elaborate." He commanded.

"Very well." The witch complied. "It's a potion. A potion for allowing a person to enter another person's dreamscape whenever they please." She said.

Bill grinned. "Go on." He beckoned.

"It's a one-time use potion, so you must use it wisely." The witch said. Bill nodded at the information, only for it to be interrupted by Ford failing to command the tourists to back away. Bill glared over at the other man.

"Hey, Sixer!" Bill hollered. "Could ya' suffer a little quieter?" He asked.

_"Please, help me!" _Ford pleaded from afar, keeping the 8-Ball cane in front of him to hopefully seem threatening.

Bill rolled his eyes. "He's obviously a little rusty." He explained to the witch.

"Yes, quite." The hand witch agreed. Bill sighed and snapped his fingers together, watching as one of the young, male tourists' hair was set on fire. The other tourists turned to look at the man as he wailed in fear, begging for someone to put out the flame. Three tourists rushed over and patted his head in attempt to put out the flame.

The old woman gasped. "He's making spells with his staff!" She said. The tourists glared and proceeded to chase Ford down.

"No, _no!" _Ford exclaimed, running away once more. He considered throwing himself in the bottomless pit to rid himself of the tourists. Surely they wouldn't _dare _follow him then. And by the time he (Probably) returned, they would be gone. Ford thought against it, as the chances of him not returning had reminded him of the dangers.

Bill turned to look at the witch once more. "So where's the potion you were talking about?" He asked.

"I have it right here." The witch replied, reaching into her black hoodie-cape and grabbing the vial from a pocket. The substance was a mix of the colors blue and purple, moving around at a slow pace inside the vial. Bill's eyes widened at the sight, and he eagerly put his hands out.

"Ooh! Gimmie, gimmie, gimmie!" Bill commanded, grinning wide as he held his hands out.

"Hasty, are we?" The witch scolded.

_"Yes, _now give!" Bill pleaded, his pupils enlarged in width to where they nearly looked round.

"Patience can go a long way, for the record." The hand witch explained. She handed the vial to Bill. "Good things come to those who-"

"Haha, _yes!" _Bill exclaimed, holding the vial close. He grinned an evil grin. The hand witch took a step back as the demons eyes turned red as he now wore a vengeful glare. "I can't wait to turn those shapeshifters inside out for what they've done to my human!" He said, his voice turning into a deep, nearly echoey tone.

The hand witch raised an eyebrow. "Wait, I thought you said that the two of you weren't-"

"It's complicated!" Bill exclaimed, his red eyes staring at the witch as he wore a glare.

The hand witch rolled her eyes. "Watch your temper, Mr. Cipher." She chided.

Bill's eyes turned back to normal as he looked at the vial once more. He looked at the witch and grinned again. "Thanks, lady!" He said before opening the door to the gift shop.

"Wait! If I may have a word with-" The hand witch began, only to be cut off with a door that had been practically slammed in her face. The witch growled and considered taking the potion back. She walked away before she would have a chance to change her mind on helping them.

Bill looked down at the thin vial in his hands with a grin as he walked forwards. He put it in his front jean pocket where it would be able to be kept safe just until he was off work. He looked forward to see one of the Pines' twins panting heavily. Stan's hat was off his head a bit, as he groaned in minor pain. Bill noticed the man he assumed to be Ford in a slightly roughed up condition, and walked towards the other man.

"I see ya' got some good exercise running, eh Fordsy?" Bill asked. Stan was confused when Bill placed his hands atop his shoulders. The con man shivered at the strange touch from the demon, and looked at him in confusion. Bill only noticed his facial expression, though with Stan's chest still heaving, Bill assumed that he was annoyed.

Bill frowned. "Aw, don't give me that look." He said. "Those tourists that were chasing you down to your last breath can go take a hike." He stated. "Maybe then Stano will have enough time to get himself some alone time away from those refund thirsty buffoons." He added.

"Wha-?" Stan could only say, until Bill proceeded with a sly smirk.

"And speaking of alone time..." Bill continued, running his hands from Stan's shoulders and down to his chest. He glanced over at the vending machine before looking back at the man with a mischievous smirk. "Maybe after Stanley lets us get off work, we could slip away down to the lab for a few minutes." He proposed.

Stan wrinkled his nose in disgust. "Wouldja' get off me?" He exclaimed suddenly, catching the attention of Soos. Bill heard the extra grumbly voice and took a step back, looking up at the man.

Stan held a hand up so that Bill could count his fingers. Bill gasped and looked up, fear in his eyes. He had mistaken Stan for Ford, and had spoken to the wrong twin.

**There's the end of this chapter! I'm leaving it on a cliffhanger, because I'm feeling evil. xD ****It would have been out earlier, but Bonded: Year two for updated, so if course I had to read that. **

**Well, Stan's beginning to piece things together. And the potion, what is it's poison? Is it poison? It's a possibility, but I'll leave that for you to ponder on. c:**

**A new chapter will be up soon! **


	48. Into the Dreamscape

**Well, the chapter name gives a hint on why there is a warning for pain and death threats later on in this chapter.**

**...Man, this story is dark sometimes. ;-;**

**Here's chapter 48 of "Welcome Home"! **

Bill stood speechless in the gift shop. The other customers had left after hearing about the angry tourist shenanigans, which left only Bill and Stan, along with Soos who was putting away the broom. Just a moment ago Bill had mistaken Stan for Ford, and now he was sure a price would have to be paid due to his lack of self-control so suddenly.

"What's this about your plans in the lab with Ford?" Stanley asked, putting his hands on his hips and glaring at the demon. Things were very suspicious in Stan's eyes. _Especially_ now.

Bill bit his lip and took a step back. "Uh, well, I-I, we-"

"It's for the merchandise!" Soos exclaimed suddenly. Bill and Stan looked at Soos, both raising an eyebrow.

"It is?" Stan asked.

"It is?" Bill _also _asked.

"Uh, y-yeah!" Soos said, giving an awkward chuckle. "Y-you see, Mr. Ford and Bill were planning something for the shop that they didn't want you finding out about." He claimed.

"Oh, I'm sure they don't want me finding out about _somethin'." _Stan said, looking down at Bill with narrowed eyes. He then looked at Soos. "Since when do you know about all this?" Stan asked.

Soos shrugged. "I uh... Ford told me." He lied.

"He did?" Stan asked. "Well then, I'll go ask him." He said. Bill nearly protested, however he knew that Ford was a smart man. He watched Stan leave and turned to look at the handyman in the room.

"Soos, what was that for?" Bill questioned, raising an eyebrow. Though he certainly wasn't complaining.

Soos merely shrugged. "I just wanted help a friend out." He said with a small smile.

Bill narrowed his eyes slightly. "Friend?" He repeated. "I don't have friends. Except Shooting Star." He stated. In a mutter, he added, "Wow, that sounds sad."

"Look, I don't mean to sound creepy, but I totally saw you and Ford cuddling the other day at the bus stop." Soos admitted. "If there's chemistry, it shouldn't be messed with recklessly. Like some sort of science experiment!" He said with a smile.

Bill hummed. "Just... don't look too far into what you saw." He said.

"You got it." Soos said, taking the beginning page of his newest fanfiction out of his pocket and crumbling it up in his hand behind his back.

* * *

The hand witch walked down the short stairs of the gift shop, only to see Ford _still running _from the angry tourists as he made his way towards the parking lot. The hand witch was in awe that the old man had such wonderful stamina capacity. On the other hand, he looked quite stupid running around the parking lot while being chased by angry people. The hand witch rolled her eyes as Ford finally tripped, falling over and trying to catch himself, only to land on his back. Ford looked up at the people as they were walking closer to circle him.

"Shoo, shoo!" The hand witch demanded suddenly, walking over towards Stanford and glaring at the people. The hand witch removed her black cloak and let it fall to the ground. She folded her arms.

"Have you no shame?" The witch scolded the tourists.

"That man scammed us the other day!" The other elderly woman stated, pointing her newspaper down at Ford who still lay on the ground. He couldn't see the woman's face, however he swore that her voice was familiar.

"You fools have been chasing after the wrong guy." The witch continued.

"Liar!" One man shouted. The other tourists were quick to agree with the man's claim.

The hand witch narrowed her eyes. "You will leave and never return!" She commanded. For extra measure, two hands crawled up the hand witch's back, one hand resting on each of her shoulders. The fingers on the hands moved in place, making the tourists all scream in a sudden unison. The elderly tourist dropped her newspaper as herself and the others ran away in a fearful manner.

The hand witch watched them leave before turning around to face the man. Ford stood up and brushed the bit of dirt off his pants before looking at the woman. His eyes widened slightly at the sudden realization of who the person was.

"It's been some time, Stanford Pines." The hand witch greeted.

Ford looked down at the woman with his mouth hung open slightly. "I... I haven't seen you in forty years." He said.

"It appears that you've aged well." The witch replied. "Not everyone can say that." She added in a muttered tone, looking down at herself and frowning.

"Well, you're actually quite-" Ford began, only to stop in the middle of his sentence when he saw his brother walking towards him.

"Hey bro, quick question-" Stan began, only to receive a punch to the face from his brother.

"You knucklehead!" Ford chided, fists clenched. "What on_ earth_ did you do to those tourists that made them so enraged?" He asked.

Stan looked at his brother and took a step back. "Uh, that's not important. Now, onto my question; what-"

"If my question isn't important to you, then your question isn't important to me." Ford stated. "I was just chased down for who knows _how long _because of whatever recklessness you showed them the other day. I would like an answer from you before I answer back." Ford stated before walking away towards the gift shop.

The hand witch just grinned at the twins. "I love soap opera." She commented.

Stan looked down at the woman and rolled his eyes. "Ugh, it's you." He muttered before walking away, leaving the hand witch by herself. The witch huffed before grabbing her cloak from off the ground and walking away from the Mystery Shack.

Ford walked into the gift shop, opening the door a bit quicker than he had intended. Soos and Bill jumped at the sudden noise of the door making contact with the wall. Bill saw the look of frustration on Ford's face and bit his lip. He followed Ford though the 'Employee's only' door and looked at him, a look of guilt apparent.

"Look, I know you're upset," Bill began. "But it was an accident, I swear!" He said.

_I'm sure this was no accident, coming from Stanley. _Ford thought to himself. He took the thought of the tourists out of his head and looked back at Bill. "Was it?" He asked, unconvinced.

"Yes!" Bill cried. Ford saw the look of stress and guilt on the other man's face and grew confused. "I-I thought Stan was you, because he looked all tired out. If I knew it was him, I never would have said anything!" He stated.

Ford just raised an eyebrow. "Bill, what are you talking about?" He asked.

Bill, too, was confused. "Wait, Stano didn't tell you?" He questioned.

"Well, no." Ford answered. He noticed Bill's sigh of relief and tilted his head. "What is going on, Bill?" He asked in a firmer tone.

Bill's mouth hung open for a moment. It turned into a sheepish smile. "Nothing." He lied.

"Bill," Ford warned. "What did you say to Stanley?" He asked.

The demon was hesitant to respond. He saw Ford's facial expression that was impatiently awaiting an answer. Bill then wore a smirk, which turned into a mischievous grin. "Beg me." He commanded.

Ford furrowed his brows. "I will do no such thing." He stated.

Bill wore a mocking grin. "Then I guess you'll be lacking an answer!" He responded before taking a step away.

Ford watched Bill as he took a step away, and put a hand out. "Wait," The scientist began once more. Bill turned around again and raised an eyebrow. Ford sighed and turned to look at Bill. "Please." He said.

Bill walked back over to Ford, putting his hands behind his back as he proceeded to grin at the scientist.

"This seems important." Ford admitted.

Bill simply shrugged. "Depends on how you look at it." He replied. He was taken by surprise when he felt Ford's hands grab the sides of his waist, pulling him close. Bill rolled his eyes and figured he would let Ford play his dominant roll, wrapping his arms around the other man's neck lazily.

_"Please, _Bill. If this is something important, I would like to know what's going on." Ford said.

Bill looked up slightly into Stanford's eyes and sighed. "Fine." He complied in a mutter. "I'm thinking your brother isn't so dumb after all." He said.

"Explain?" Ford hoped, tilting his head slightly.

Bill looked away, then down at his shoes as they stood in silence for a moment. Bill gave an uneasy shrug. "I... may have said some things that... gave him some hints..." Bill proceeded in a mutter, speaking slowly. It didn't take any more words for Ford to understand. Still, the scientist was left feeling stunned.

"You _what?" _Ford exclaimed suddenly.

Bill saw Ford's wide eyes of disbelief and bit his bottom lip. "Look, it wasn't intentional!" He defended.

Ford groaned. "And you spoke to Stan _where?" _He asked, hoping at the very least that they had been alone at the time. Though on second thought, that may not be the best outcome to wish upon when thinking of someone like Bill.

The demon shrunk slightly. "...The gift shop." He muttered.

"Oh, good grief." Ford muttered, looking up at the ceiling before facepalming.

Bill took a step back and folded his arms. "I-I know I messed up, but-"

"Yes, you did." Ford agreed. He took his hand away from his face and instead put his hands on his hips. "Bill, you can't be reckless like this and screw around whenever you please. Let alone in public areas!" He scolded.

"The customers were all gone." Bill tried to reassure.

"That's beside the point," Ford stated. "You need to be more vigilant. If you're not able to keep a low profile and have more self-control, Stanley is going to be on our backs constantly." He said. "And he has evidence now, if I may add."

"Well, I'm sorry." Bill spat in a manner that was far from an apology. He looked away and down at the floor, muttering, "I'm not used to this kind of thing."

Ford frowned and sighed. "I know." He said. "I understand that this is all new to you, learning to love and all." He continued.

"It's not learning to love that I have trouble with, Stanford," Bill began. "It's learning to open up again that challenges me." He muttered.

"I'm not exactly following." Ford said.

Bill looked back up at Ford. "Believe it or not, I wasn't always a horrible demon. Sure I've found arson amusing for as long as I can remember, but I was never as terrible as the more recent years." He said.

Bill continued. "Just imagine; finding some joy in socializing with mortals, only to watch them grow old and die. Find another person, they grow old and die, just like the last. It was like a never-ending loop. Befriending humans and watching them fade away over time." He said. "That's just one of the reasons why I've been so bitter for so long, unable to _actually _open up to mortal beings." He said, folding his arms.

Ford hummed. "I've never thought of it that way." He muttered.

"It's all so different now. I-I don't even know how long I'll be stuck like this, or how long I have left to live anymore. I hate not knowing what's going on; I've been stuck with this form for a year now, you'd think I would have figured something out." He said in a more panicked and rushed tone now.

Ford frowned. "All you can honestly do is wait." He admitted. He caught onto Bill's stress and gently wrapped his arms around the other man. "Though I'm curious to know- if you have trouble opening up to other people, why have you done so for me?" He wondered.

Bill was silent for a moment. Ford gave him time. Eventually Bill shook his head. "It's stupid." He muttered.

"I doubt that." Ford retorted.

"Coming from someone like me?" Bill continued. "Yeah, it is."

"If you don't want to say, that's fine." Ford assured. Bill remained silent. A part of him wanted to speak of it, though he was sure that it would come off as strange to hear from someone like him. He laid his forehead atop Ford's shoulder as he considered. There was a moment of silence between the two as they stood in the living room. Just before Bill could speak, Ford pulled away.

"Well then, I suppose I should talk to Stanley." Ford muttered.

Bill was about to explain that he had plans to speak, though he silenced himself for the time being and asked, "You sure that's a good idea?"

"Well, it's certainly a much better plan than avoiding the situation." Ford replied.

"Maybe, but you can't exactly bluff, smart guy." Bill reminded. "Perhaps I should talk to him instead." He proposed.

Ford gave a shake of his head. "Stan is my brother. And not to offend, but I doubt he would listen to a word you would say." He stated.

Bill folded his arms. Before he could speak, his attention was turned to the 'Employee's only' door, Stan walking through it. Ford turned his head to look at the door when he noticed Bill's attention was turned to something else.

Stan walked towards the two in the living room and put his hands on his hips. "Explain." He commanded in a tone that told the two that there was no getting out of their current situation. Stan looked at Bill directly with narrowed eyes.

Bill looked into Stan's angry eyes. He knew just how strong Stanley could be, especially when he was upset. Bill gulped. "Uh... well, I-it's a weird story,"

Ford was quick to nod. "Y-Yes, strange is a... good word for that." He said, shrinking slightly when Stan looked at him with a glare.

"Do you know how much this changes things?" Stan asked, looking at Bill as he asked the question.

"Stanley, I can assure you, things won't get too different around here." Ford claimed.

"Yeah! I annoy Fordsy on a daily basis, you won't even know I'm here!" Bill stated.

Stan narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What are you two idiots talking about?" He asked. He turned to look at Bill. "You ain't gettin' off workin' just because you did extra by taking Wendy's job." He said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Took her job?" He asked.

"Wendy went to me earlier, complainin' about ya'." Stan informed. _"That _might be normal, but she said that you took her job for the register. She's been upset recently, so she went all crazy and started yellin' about it. Eventually she wore me out from tryin' to control her." He said. Ford hummed at this and narrowed his eyes slightly. The memory of the strange man in the forest inquiring danger from the other day came to mind. He wondered if perhaps Wendy's odd behavior was the cause of that.

_If not, surely it's a simple mood swing. _Ford added to himself.

"Serves her right." Bill muttered. "To be fair here, Fez, she wasn't doing anything. I don't know how she gets away with slacking off all the time." He said.

"Wendy? Slacking off work?" Stan asked as if he didn't believe the remark. There was a short pause, and he snorted. "Not surprised." He admitted. "What'd you think I meant just a minute ago?" He questioned, looking at the others with suspicion.

Bill shot a sudden glare at the con man. "None of your business!" He snapped, clenching his fists by his sides.

"Calm yourself." Ford said, glancing over at the blonde. The demon looked back at him, keeping his glare.

"I don't see why he cares in the first place!" Bill stated, his tone of voice still raised. Ford saw the 'Employee's only' door open to reveal Soos poking his head out and raising an eyebrow in confusion, assuming something bad was happening.

"You're making a scene." Ford murmured to Bill, keeping his eyes on Soos. Stan turned around and also looked at the handyman. He put his hands on his hips.

"What do ya' want, Soos?" Stanley asked.

Soos looked over at the front door of the gift shop, then back at Stan. "Should I lock up the shop?" He asked.

"Yeah, yeah. Knock yourself out." Stan encouraged with very little enthusiasm in his voice. Soos smiled and nodded, tipping his hat as a goodbye before walking away. Stan turned to look at the other two once more and folded his arms. "Well?" He pushed.

Bill and Ford just looked at each other for a moment before looking at Stan in unison. Ford cleared his throat and adjusted his glasses, looking down at the carpet in hopes of avoiding eye contact. Bill merely shrugged.

"We thought you were talking about the merchandise... thing." Bill stated.

"You were?" Stan asked.

"We were?" Ford muttered, raising an eyebrow. Bill shot Ford a look that told him not to interfere. Nonetheless, Bill nodded.

"I dunno, you both have been actin' suspicious lately." Stan stated. "Can't just be merchandise that's causin' so much suspicion when you've got your hands all over me, Bill." He added. Bill just narrowed his eyes at Stan, ignoring the confused look Ford was likely giving him.

Stan took a step closer to the two, Ford and Bill taking a step back in unison and cringing as their backs hit the wall unexpectedly. "Ya' wanna tell me what's _really_ going on here?" Stanley asked.

* * *

"Doodoodoo, locking up the shop." Soos sang to himself as he grabbed the correct key for the door to the gift shop, shutting off the lights and locking the door before heading down the steps on the porch. The sun was just beginning to set, and he walked over towards his car. As he walked towards his car, he stopped suddenly after sensing something moving. He looked around suspiciously in case someone was trying to break into the gift shop. Soos noticed a strange movement over in the forest around him. A bush, to be specific. Soos hummed and shrugged, seeing nothing wrong. He proceeded to walk towards his car until he heard a scream come from over by said bush.

Soos' eyes widened at the sudden scream. He stopped in his tracks and shoved his keys in his pocket, rushing up towards the bush in a worried manner.

"H-hello?" Soos called out. "I-Is everything okay?" He asked, slowly approaching the bush with his hands out in front of him slightly. He looked over at the bush to see a skinny blonde man curled up behind a bush, looking down at a flyer with wide-eyes. There were two other men beside him, who looked very similar. One man noticed Soos and looked up at him with a tilted head.

"Oh, uh... sorry." Soos apologized. He gave an awkward chuckle. "I heard a scream and got worried." He explained.

"We're worried, too." One blonde man with a white hat said.

Soos tilted his head. "You are?" He asked. "Wh-What about?" He questioned. The blonde man with the white hat handed Soos the specific piece of paper that they had been looking down at. Soos grabbed hold of said paper and took a glance at it before looking back at the others in confusion.

"Man, I wish I didn't know how to read." One blonde with a goatee said, shivering.

"We can't go back there!" The third blonde with a long, white sleeve shirt said. He wrapped his arms around his legs that were pressed up against his chest, and rocked himself back and fourth with a look of disbelief.

Soos looked down at the paper once more. The piece of paper appeared to be recently printed. There were small bits of mud on the top right corner of the paper due to it's previous position of laying flat on the ground. Soos looked on at the words on the paper, his eyes widening at seeing a somewhat-familiar face.

Soos looked at the words on the paper. In bold at the top of the piece of paper read,_"Ergman Bratsman- Not guilty; freed from charges." _

"Hey, I've seen this dude before." Soos said. He looked back at the three blonde men. "What's the issue, dawgs?" He asked, not understanding what was wrong with the man being freed from charges.

"He's gonna come looking for us." The man with the goatee said.

"All of us." The blonde with the white hat added.

Soos just chuckled. "Come on, dawgs. I'm sure that's just paranoia kicking in." He assured.

"See for yourself." The goatee man encouraged.

Soos looked down at the paper once more and looked down slightly, seeing a quote from Ergman himself saying, _"I'm going to find those boys! They're nothing without me!"_

"I don't wanna go back with that man, broskis!" The long-sleeved blonde wailed.

Soos proceeded to read the paper and hummed. "It's says here that there's five of you dudes." He said. "Let's see, uh... Creggy G, Greggy C, Leggy P, Chubby Z, and Deep Chris." He said, reading off the names from the paper.

"That's out names, dawgs!" The goatee member said to the other two of the five that were nearby.

Soos handed the paper back to the others and tilted his head. "So, if you dudes don't want to be found, where are you gonna go?"

"Where we've always hid, in the forest." The man with the white hat replied.

"Hiding!" The man with the goatee said, squinting his eyes and nodding.

"Well, just stay away from the creepy parts of the forest." Soos warned. He then chuckled. "Well, actually, it's always kinda creepy."

"We're safer here than we are with him." The blonde with the white long sleeve shirt said. "There's a darker side to the boy band he created, right Deep Chris?"

"Definitely." Chris confirmed with a nod. "I slipped up on a few performances when we were in his care. I-I messed up twice. One more strike and I'm dead. _Dead, _dawgs!" He said, shivering in fear and holding onto his white fedora hat.

Soos frowned. "Well, don't worry! I'm sure he's forgotten about those mistakes since then!" He tried in hopes of sounding reassuring.

Deep Chris shook his head. "No way, girl. I-I mean, dude." He said, cringing at the way that he had messed up his way of addressing the stranger. "Mr. Bratsman is a smart man. If he was smart enough to engineer and create us with some perfect-boy DNA, he wouldn't be the guy to forget something so easily." He informed.

"Oh..." Soos muttered. He didn't quite understand what was happening, nor how he could help. He looked at Deep Chris in confusion as the blonde man looked over at his car.

"Yo' dawg, is that hairy pony munching on your mechanical device?" Deep Chris asked, point over to his car.

"What?" Soos asked, looking behind him in confusion. He looked over at his car to see Gompers chewing on the license plate of his car. Soos remembered seeing the news a year ago about the very man the blonde men were fearing, and how he had been taken to court due to a missing license plate thanks to Gompers. The handyman wasn't about to let that happen, as he had a family to be there for and couldn't afford to end up going to court for such a foolish crime.

Soos was quick to rush over towards his car. Soos extended an arm and attempted to shoo Gompers away. The goat looked at his hand in confusion and attempted to bite Soos' fingers. Soos moved his hand before that happened and shooed the goat a second time. Gompers took a few steps back before prancing away to go eat from a patch of grass at the side of the Mystery Shack.

Soos sighed in relief and got into his car, grabbing his keys and starting up the vehicle's engine. From the bush on the other side of the parking lot, three men watched Soos leave.

"Do you think he could protect us?" Deep Chris asked.

"Not likely." The other two responded in unison.

Chris just shrugged it off. "We should go find the others." He proposed, to which the two other blondes agreed. With that, they fled into the forest to go find the other two of their group.

* * *

"'Searching for money', are you kidding me?" Ford asked Bill in disbelief as he sat on the side of the bed by his nightstand down in the laboratory, removing his boots and placing them beside said nightstand. He had recently changed back into his regular outfit, his lab coat and black satchel tucked away for the night.

"I didn't see you with any bright ideas, smart guy." Bill shot back, standing up with his arms folded. "At least Stano is finally off our backs." He said.

"Not for long." Ford muttered. He sighed and adjusted himself so that he lay with his back flat against the bed, his head hitting the pillow. "Perhaps telling him wouldn't be so bad after all." He said, one leg crossed over the other as he put an arm underneath his head.

Bill looked at him with wide eyes. "Are you crazy?" He began. "You'd never hear the end of it if you did that."

"I can't lie to my brother like this." Ford replied in a firm manner. "It was foolish to do so in the first place. Stan isn't an idiot, he'll catch on. And I would rather come clean than have to admit to lying." He stated.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm a problem." Bill said, rolling his eyes.

"I wouldn't say problem." Ford retorted.

"Do you have a better definition?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his hips. There was a moment of silence, which didn't surprise Bill. He just sighed. "As terrible as I may be, I don't wanna come between you and your twin." He said.

"You don't have to." Ford tried to assure.

Bill could only shake his head. "I doubt that." He muttered. He looked up at the scientist once more. "You've been separated from your brother for half of your mortal life. I don't want to rob any more of that time than I already have." He said. "I know what it's like to be alone. You two idiots don't need that loneliness again." He added.

Ford gave a low hum. He wasn't sure how to respond to such a thing. Though he did find it nice that Bill was aware of the sibling relationship he and his brother had finally put back together once more. He's didn't want Bill to think that any troubles were entirely his fault.

"Come here." Ford beckoned suddenly, sitting up straight now and criss-crossing his legs. Bill was confused by the sudden request, but complied with the other mans beckoning. Bill walked over towards the scientist and got onto Ford's side of the bed, sitting across from the man so that they say facing each other.

"You are _not _a problem." Ford began, extending his arms out slightly and placing his hands atop Bill's. The demon looked down at his hands, then at Ford once more who showed reassurance in his eyes. "And though this whole situation may be problematic itself, you're not to blame for it all." He said.

"Sure I am." Bill responded. "None of this would be happening if I wasn't a part of it." He said.

"This situation involves both of us, it's my fault just as much as it's yours." Ford said.

Bill was amused by the remark and smirked. "Well, I guess so." He agreed. "Whatever weird human magic you used on me to change the way I feel about you plays a part in this, too." He claimed.

Ford gave a soft chuckle. "Human magic?" He repeated. "We don't exactly have that. Your magic is an exception." He said.

"If you're saying that there's no human magic, you're a liar." Bill said.

"I am, am I?" Stanford inquired, a small smirk apparent now. "As far as I know, there's only one form of human magic." He said.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Magicians?" He asked. Before he could await a response from the other man, he was taken by surprise when Ford pulled him close. Bill gasped at the sudden movement, only for his breath to be taken away as Ford met his lips with his own. His surprise with the action quickly turned into desire, and he willingly shut his eyes and leaned into the kiss.

They pulled away for a moment, looking at each other for a few seconds before locking lips once more, Ford getting on his knees as he held the sides of Bill's hips in his six-fingered hands. Bill shivered at the touch and desperately grabbed onto Ford's sweater up by the collar bit of his neck in attempt to deepen their kiss. Before Bill could have success with his plan, Ford pulled away slightly, which only earned him a slight whine from the other.

"You should get some rest." Ford suggested.

"I don't need sleep." Bill murmered with a shake of his head.

"You wouldn't want to have a lack of energy for tomorrow now, would you?" Ford asked, gently moving Bill to his usual side of the bed.

Bill was confused at this. Ford has not told him anything about the next day. He raised an eyebrow. "Tomorrow? What happens tomorrow?" He asked.

"Well, there's something in town I was looking to pick up, and figured that you may wish to come along." Ford suggested with a shrug.

Bills eyes widened in sudden admiration. "Really?" He asked, eagerly ready to comply with Ford's suggestion of rest. Bills elbows rested against his pillow as he kept himself up in a half-sitting, half-laying position.

"If you would like." Ford replied simply.

Bill wore a wide grin as he nodded frantically. "Heck yeah!" He responded, sitting up now and practically jumping towards Ford, pouncing towards him and wrapping his arms around his neck. Ford looked down at the floor below him and noticed that he was about to fall with Bill leaning on him. He pushed back as to not send them both tumbling to the floor, causing Bill's back to lay flat against the mattress as he looked up at the other, tightening his grip around the scientists neck.

"What happened to sleep?" Bill asked with a smirk.

Ford looked away at the remark,.feeling his cheeks flushing. He was quick to remove Bill's hands off his neck and sit up. Bill too sat up and snickered at Ford's flushed cheeks.

"Y-Yes, sleep sounds nice." Ford said before laying back down.

Bill kept his smirk, crawling over towards his pillow and looking over at the other man. "You sure? Your intentions seemed a little unclear just then-"

"I-I was about to fall." Ford defended. "And with you clinging onto me in such an unusual manner, you would have fallen as well." He stated.

Bill smirked once more. "Admit it, you weren't _just _saving us from falling off the edge. Don't think I didn't catch that little look in your eyes." He said.

"Oh, behave." Ford scolded with a scoff. Bill snickered a second time as Ford removed his glasses, placing them atop the nightstand. Bill nearly turned around, until remembering the vial that the hand witch had given him was still inside his front jean pocket. Bill carefully took the vial out of his pocket and lay on his side. He looked behind him after Ford turned off the lamp and watched as the man shut his eyes.

Bill then looked down at the slim vial. It was a one-time use, so he had to use it wisely. The hand witch had also told him that he had to be in a form of physical contact with the person whom he was entering the dreamscape of. It was a bit different than his old, easier ways of doing things, but it would have to do.

Bill waited a few minutes in the dark for Ford to fall asleep. When Bill assumed he was asleep, he checked to be sure. Seeing no signs of the man being awake, Bill removed the cork from the thin vial containing the potion. After a moment of hesitance, he brought the vial up to his mouth, downing the liquid. He cringed at the taste of the bitter potion, but knew that it was for the best.

He tossed the vial behind him, getting under the covers and gently placing an arm over top Ford as to create the physical contact the hand witch said was required. Ford didn't seem to move, which was a good sign. With that reassurance, Bill stayed close and shut his eyes, waiting for his body to welcome sleep.

_It took a few minutes, but soon enough Bill had entered inside the same mindscape he had been in the previous night. __He had entered Ford's mindscape and currently stood inside the main part of the laboratory._ _He looked around in hopes of Ford being there as well. Or, at the very least, one of the shapeshifters._

_"Sixer?" Bill called out, looking around the laboratory to see no sign of Ford. He checked the portal room, only to find it empty and without the man he was looking for. Bill turned to look at the elevator and considered looking upstairs. He then looked over at the bedroom and figured it would be best to check the entirety of the laboratory before going upstairs. Bill walked towards the door and turned the handle, quietly poking his head inside. He looked forward and had to blink a few times to be sure of what he was seeing._

_Ford was in the same place he had been in before Bill had entered his dreamscape, which didn't come as much of a surprise. What Bill didn't expect, however, was the sight of one of the shapeshifters taking the form of Bill himself__, laying there beside Ford._

_The shapeshifter posing as Bill poked Ford in the cheek. The__ scientist, who assumed that he was in reality with trouble sleeping, turned to look at the shapeshifter in annoyance._

_"Bill, please. Sleep is important whether we like it or not." Ford stated before laying on his side once more. _

_"Sleep is annoying." The shapeshifter posing as Bill retorted._

_"Almost as annoying as your complaints about it." Ford replied before shutting his eyes._

_The supposed Bill frowned, and placed a hand atop the Ford's chest, making the scientist open an eye._

_"You know Fordsy, we've both had a long day." The shapeshifter began._

_Ford gave a nod. "Yes. And now we get sleep." He muttered, shutting his eyes once more._

_"I don't feel like sleeping." The shapeshifter said._

_Ford growled and opened his eyes, giving a small glare towards the supposed Bill. "I'm about to kick you out of this room for the night." He threatened._

_"Come on, Fordsy." Bill cooed with a grin. "We both know you don't want that." He said._

_"If it gets me sleep, I would prefer it." Ford __replied. _

_The shapeshifter rolled its eyes at the humans pitiful behavior. He grabbed Ford's shoulders and turned himself so that he was overtop the __scientist. _

_Ford glared. "Bill, that's enough." He said in a firm manner._

_Bill took a hand and held Ford's chin with it tightly so that Ford couldn't look away. The man glared at the demon above him._

_"Stanford, look into my eyes." Bill commanded. Ford looked at the other man with furrowed brows. His glare slowly faded into a confused and tired expression. Bill smirked at this, it meant that his plan was working just as it had months ago. In a hushed tone, he said, "You know that you want me."_

_Ford looked back at the shapeshifter with his mouth open slightly, his expression blank for a moment. He blinked and proceeded to look at the creature before speaking. "I know that I want you." He said in a deep voice. The shapeshifter grinned as Ford sat up on his knees suddenly, grabbing the supposed Bill's hands and pinning him down_.

_The real Bill looked at this with wide eyes, his mouth hung open. "Hypnosis..." He muttered to himself. Bill was surprised at how easily Ford had been tricked into such a thing. He growled and kicked the door open suddenly, walking inside the room with blue fire emerging from his palms as he clenched his fists._

_"Hey, Shifty!" Bill addressed with a glare. The shapeshifter tilted it's head back just enough to see the figure of Bill standing there, whereas Ford merely looked up. The sight of the dangerous blue fire caught his eyes, causing Ford to jump back in alarm, shaking his head with his eyes closed as he shook the strange feeling from his head. He put a hand atop his forehead after being tricked out of hypnosis and looked at the two Bills looking at him._

_Ford gasped and got off the bed, looking at the two Bill's in confusion. "Wh-What the hell?" He blurted out__, beyond confused. "How on Earth did you duplicate yourself?" He asked, not knowing which Bill to look at as he did so._

_"Sixer, I'll explain everything later, I promise." Bill said, taking a few steps towards the false form of himself. The shapeshifter got off the bed and rushed over to Ford, standing behind him and clutching his arm tightly._

_"Don't listen to him, he's an imposter!" The shapeshifter wailed._

_"What?" Bill exclaimed, glaring at the other Bill. "Don't hide behind him like that, ya' big coward!" He scolded._

_"Fordsy, don't let him hurt me." The shapeshifter pleaded. _

_Ford looked down at the supposed Bill clutching his arm so. "He won't hurt you." He assured. Ford then looked over at Bill with narrowed eyes, shrugging away from the shapeshifters grasp on his arm and walking towards the real Bill_ _with a glare. _

_The fire surrounding Bills palms extinguished as the other man walked towards him. His fists unclenched, and he took a step back as Ford proceeded to walk towards him. _

_Bill out his hands out slightly. "Sixer, what-what are you doing?" He asked, looking into Ford's eyes that showed anger._ _Before Bill could pull away, Ford had his hands clenched tightly around Bill's wrists. The demon cringed at how tightly the grip felt; the six fingered feature on the scientists hands only made the grip harder. __Bill felt Ford force his hands behind his back, and made a sound of pain that he didn't find humorous. Bill was pushed to the ground, Ford's knee laying atop his back as he held his hands to keep him in place._

_"What are you doing, ya' knuckkehead?" Bill asked, barely able to look up at the man._

_"I don't know who you are, what you are, or where you came from," Ford began. "But whatever your intentions are, you won't be harming Bill." He said in a tone that sounded like more of an order than it did fate._

_"Y-You've got the wrong me!" Bill __claimed, desperation in his voice as he hoped that Ford would release his tight grip on him._

_"Do you expect me to believe anything you have to say, imposter?" Ford snarled with a glare. He dug his knee further into Bill's back, his hold on the demons arms tightening. Bill threw his head back and cried out at the sharp pain in his back._

_"Let go of me!" Bill pleaded._

_Ford ignored the cries from the supposed imposter and increased the pain. _

_"Stanford, y-you're hurting me!" Bill wailed. He just wished the pain would cease. Bill normally didn't mind some pain, but it was much different of a feeling to him __when Ford was the one inflicting the pain._

_"I'm not an imposter, I'm not!" Bill said, his voice and hands shaky. Ford noticed the hand shaking and knew that it was a common sign Bill showed of fear. Ford wasn't sure if the imposter would mimic such things. Not to mention that Bill's pleading for him to stop_ _sounded much too real to be made up_ _or mimicked by another creature._ _Ford quickly removed his hands from Bill's wrists, taking his knee off his back and flipping the demon over. Bill looked up at him with fear in his eyes, his chest heaving as his breathing failed in slowing._

_"Bill," Ford began, extending his arm out as Bill sat up. Bill scooted backwards, a safe enough distance away from the man. Ford's heart shattered at the sight of Bill, shrinking away as if he were a cornered animal. _

_From a distance away from the others the shapeshifter smirked at the __sight of Bill._

_"Oh, this is priceless." The shapeshifter who posed as Bill said. He kept his smirk. "Poor little Bill Cipher, fearing a puny human." He mocked. Bill and Ford both shot a glare at the creature. _

_"Watch it." Ford warned with narrowed eyes. He watched as the shapeshifter crawled over the bed to join Bill on the f, turning into the form of Stanford now as was down on one knee._

_"Back away," Bill commanded. "Don't forget who put you in this position of power." He said, glaring._

_"Ah, yes. And it must sting to see your mistake of giving me this ability coming into play, doesn't it?" The shapeshifter asked. Bill kept his glare on the man who held Ford's eyes, but no where near the same soft, gentle look._

_The shapeshifter frowned with furrowed brows when Bill gave him no answer. "Doesn't it?" The shapeshifter asked again, glaring at the demon. Bill refused to answer to the creature. This irritated the shifter. It hated being ignored. He raised a six fingered hand up and smacked it against Bill's cheek, striking the demon with a quick force that made him yelp in surprise._

_"Stop that at once!" Ford hollered, looking at the form of himself with an icy cold glare. A shiver went down his spine when the shapeshifter smirked back._

_"You have no power over me, human." The shapeshifter said._

_Bill looked at Ford before speaking. "Yes you do! This isn't reality__, it's just your-!" He tried to say, only for him to be stopped when a hand was placed over his mouth. The shapeshifter sat behind him on his knees, pointing a finger up in front of Bill so that the demon could see said finger. The shapeshifters index finger grew a sharp claw._

_"Say one more word, and I slit your throat." The shapeshifter warned. Bill released a whimper at the sound of Ford's voice saying those words ever so calmly._ _It was unusual, and very unpleasant._

_"Let him go." Ford demanded._

_"Or what?" The shapeshifter shot back. _

_Stanford stood up, looking down at the shapeshifter. The creature watched the human stand, paying more attention to him than he was to Bill. This was a good chance for the demon, and he threw his head back, smacking the back of his head against the shapeshifters._

_The shapeshifter groaned and released his grip on Bill before clutching his head. Bill took the chance to escape away from the shapeshifters grasp, rushing over to Ford's side._

_"Care to explain what's going on?" Ford asked._

_"This isn't reality." Bill said. "It's the dreamscape."_

_"So what in the world is a shapeshifter doing in the dreamscape? And how?" Ford proceeded to question._ _"Who's dreamscape is this?"_

_"It's yours." Bill responded. "And the shapeshifter is a long story._"

_Ford was beyond confused. "Can you at least try to explain-?" He began, only for Bill to grab his wrist and run out of the room. Ford nearly tripped, but kept up with the other man_ _best he could. At the very least they could get away from the shapeshifter for the time being._

_The shapeshifter looked up at the two leaving the room and growled. __"Pathetic." He grumbled, standing up as the door slammed shut. It may be Ford's dreamscape, but the shapeshifter had control. They couldn't stand a chance against his abilities Bill had so kindly gifted him years ago. _

**There's the end of this chapter. I hope it wasn't confusing. There are technically two plots at the moment for this story, however the shapeshifter plot is the main focus. The Sev'ral Timez bit will be focused on later on in the story. Hopefully this chapter was somewhat entertaining. The next one will be up soon. c: **


	49. Escaping the Dreamscape

**Fair ****warning for blood and very heavy violenc****e that will be demonstrated in this chapter. There's a lot of violence. ;-;**

**Okay, so the male shapeshifter usually forms into Bill and Ford. His name is Edward. He's the one that has been in most chapters. The female shapeshifter takes the form of Stan. Her name is Jenna. It may seem odd, but eh. I address the "Stan" shapeshifter with male pronouns when she's shapeshifted as Stan to make it less confusing. (If that makes any sense.****..) **

**This whole chapter takes place in the dreamscape, so I won't do the _"sideways letters" _for this chapter. Keep in mind that what's happening continues on from the last chapter, and that Bill and Ford _are _in the dreamscape. c:**

**Here's chapter 49 of "Welcome Home"! **

"Tell me what's going on, Bill." Ford practically pleaded, cringing at the tight grip Bill kept on his wrist as they ran towards the elevator.

"Okay, I _might've _made some deals in the past with a shapeshifter to offer him complete access and control inside your entire dreamscape until the day you die." Bill informed in a casual manner.

"You did _what?" _Ford shot, giving Bill a look of horror that the demon couldn't see.

"Oops." Bill said, chuckling awkwardly.

Ford huffed. "Well never mind that, our task now is getting away from-" He began, only to be interrupted by the sound of an explosion coming from the bedroom. Bill and Ford looked behind them as they ran, seeing the door that had been thrown and yanked off its hinges. Edward, the shapeshifter that took the form of Ford, floated out of the room with orange fire under his boots.

"You're not leaving!" The shapeshifter hollered, a glare on his face as he saw the two men head into the elevator.

Bill kept hitting the button on the elevator in hopes that it would close quick enough. As he did this, Ford looked horrified at the figure of himself with flames emerging from his hands and feet.

"How the hell does the shapeshifter have powers in _my _body?" Ford asked.

"Ohh..." Bill said, cringing over at the shapeshifter as he continued to press the button on the elevator. "I _also _gave him access to pretty much any unnatural abilities you could possibly think of." He said.

"Dammit, Bill." Ford groaned, facepalming. The elevator doors were closing just as the shapeshifter was coming closer. "What chances do we have against this thing?"

Bill sighed. "Honestly, not much." He said. "But we're in the dreamscape! We can get whatever powers we want." He reminded.

"Well, at least there's that." Ford muttered. He closed his eyes and summoned his lab coat and sachel, feeling the black strap and lab coat make their way onto his torso. He opened his eyes and was relieved to see his coat, along with his belongings, back with him.

The shapeshifter clawed at the elevator door and forced them open just before the elevator could go up. Bill and Ford jumped at this, but got into defensive stances regardless. Ford flipped the side of his lab coat back, grabbing by his hip and pulling a gun out of his holster.

Ford cocked the gun and pointed it at the Edwards head. The shapeshifter swung his recently formed claws towards Ford. Bill grabbed ahold of the scientist and tackled him to the elevator floor before he could pierced with the claws. From the ground, Ford pointed his gun and pulled the trigger, the bullet firing at Edwards leg.

The shapeshifter let out a scream, jumping backwards and holding onto his leg with his arms. Bill pressed the elevator button once more, and the dented doors shut. He sighed and leaned against the back wall of the elevator, sliding towards the ground and putting a hand in his hair. Ford looked down at the other man who was in distress.

"This is all my fault." Bill groaned. "I put us both in danger." He muttered.

Ford frowned and took a knee beside the demon. "We'll be alright." He assured, resting a hand atop Bills shoulder.

"You can't be sure of that." Bill retorted. "These shapeshifters are crazy. If we can hardly escape one, how are we supposed to handle the rest of them?" He asked.

"We'll think of something." Ford said. He thought more thoroughly for a second about what Bill had said and looked at the man with a raised eyebrow. "Wait, there's more than one of them?" He asked with wide eyes.

Bill gave a guilty nod. "Back when I was making deals with ol' Shifty Shafty, he was the only one in your mind. He mentioned that things would get lonely for him and I understood. So I added something extra to the deal and gave him a family of shapeshifters." He revealed.

"Well, that would sound like a very considerate thing to do, if it wasn't dooming my mind." Ford stated.

"You're not helping." Bill said, facepalming. Though he knew that the guilt-trip (Whether it was intentional or not) was something he knew that was deserved for making such a foolish deal that he hadn't been aware he would regret.

"No matter what happens to us," Ford said. "Just know that I'll protect you." He vowed.

"You shouldn't be protecting me." Bill said.

"And yet I do so anyway." Ford replied. The two exchanged a smile for a moment before the elevator doors opened. Ford stood up quickly and held his hand out. Bill grabbed hold of it, and Ford pulled him up from the floor.

"Where do we go? What do we do?" Bill asked, rushing up the stairs with Ford.

The other man gave a shrug. "If either of us would know what to do, it would be you. You know what the shapeshifters can and can't do." Ford said.

"But it's your dreamscape." Bill reminded. They threw the vending machine door open, rushing into the gift shop and catching the attention of another shapeshifter that posed as Stan. Ford's false brother turned around, looking at the two in the room. Ford glared and pulled out his gun once more, pointing it at his brother. He felt guilty for taking such an action, and had to remind himself that the creature wasn't _truly _his brother.

The shapeshifter, Jenna, who posed as Stan raised an eyebrow, putting his hands up. "Woah, woah! What's wrong with you, Sixer?" He asked.

"Don't play dumb with me." Ford said with furrowed brows. "I know who you are."

"Of course ya' do, we're brothers." Stan said. "What's wrong with your head?" He questioned, putting his hands on his hips.

_"You!" _Ford snapped with a glare. "All of you! Yourself and whatever other shapeshifters that are stuck in here. That's _literally _what's in my head!" He said, clenching a fist and holding the gun with a tighter grip.

Stan's confused look slowly turned into a smirk. "Huh. So the nerd finally figured it out." He muttered to himself. He turned to look at Bill. "Here's a good question; how much did the ex-threat spill to the human after going soft?" He asked.

Bill growled and took a quick step forward with a death glare on his face. Ford, who still had his gun pointed at the shapeshifter, put his other arm out to the side to stop Bill.

Bill looked at Ford with narrowed eyes. _"What? _I can't kill him?" He asked, putting his hands on his hips. "I thought you wanted to get out of here alive, smart guy."

"There may be another way." Ford responded, not taking his eyes off the shapeshifter.

"Tell me you're joking." Bill said, looking at the scientist with a look of disbelief. "Are you just resisting because he looks like your brother?" He asked.

"Partially." Ford admitted. "But there's more to it."

The shapeshifter could only laugh at the two arguing. "This is interesting. The misfit couple can't even agree on how to take down just one of the threats." He mocked. "If ya' can't get through me, how are you gonna get through the rest of us?" He asked.

"How many of you are there?" Ford asked, his tone firm.

"Doesn't matter." The creature posing as Stan replied. He grabbed hold of the 8-Ball cane by the wall, pointing the tip in Bill's direction and grinning as a blast of fire was shot at Bill. The demon didn't have enough time to react, and the fire created a hole through his arm, burning at his flesh on the sides of the circular injury. Bill shouted in surprise and excessive pain shooting through his body, and got down on his knees as he clutched his arm.

Ford looked at Bill with his mouth hung open, unsure of what move to make. As Bill's painful shouts pierced through his ears, Ford began to wonder if shooting the shapeshifter _was _a better idea. At remembering this was the dreamscape, he pointed a finger down at Bill's arm and healed the injury, the skin healing as his arm returned to it's usual state. He knew that Bill couldn't very well heal himself when in pain from the fire. Bill sighed in relief and stood back up, his legs shaking.

"On second thought," Ford began, taking a step closer to the shapeshifter, gun still in hand. "Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to finish you off now." He threatened.

Stan just laughed. "Hah! This is the mind, nerd. You should know that if ya' can heal your little boy toy's injury, a puny bullet of yours won't do nothin' to stop me." He said. "But just to be sure that you won't try anything funny," He began, lifting his cane up and pointing it at Ford. Before the others could react, Stan threw the cane into the air. It turned from a cane into five large, sharp spikes. Using one hand, Stan kept the spikes in the air, and with the other he levitated both Bill and Ford up off the ground.

The shapeshifter made a forwards motion with one hand, and all five of the spikes went dashing towards Ford. The scientists eyes widened as he was forced against the gift shop wall, being pinned to it as one spike trapped each one of his arms and legs. He looked at the fifth spike that was yet to be used on him, only to gasp for air when it darted towards his chest. The spike pierced through his chest in a quick motion. Ford shouted in pain and threw his head back as his body felt every sensation of the pain inflicted. Blood was quick to soak his turtleneck.

"Stanford!" Bill cried out just before being slammed against the vending machine by the shapeshifter. Bill groaned and fell to the ground, getting on his knees and glaring at the creature. He tried to free Ford from his state by weakly holding an arm up towards the man, until he felt that his hand couldn't move. Bill raised an eyebrow and furrowed his brows in annoyance, attempting to use his other hand to heal the man.

Stan smirked. "Sorry. Can't have ya' helpin' him out." He said. Bill was slammed against the vending machine a second time. He growled and glared at the shapeshifter, his eyes red. Bill ignored the pain and ran towards the shapeshifter, making claws with his hands. He jumped up and slashed the false Stan across the cheek as his first strike. He planned to do many more, though this would merely stun the shapeshifter. Stan held his cheek and groaned. Bill glared and made a deep claw mark on the con mans back. Stan glared at Bill and held a hand out, another 8-ball cane being summoned. He pointed it at Bill, and before the demon could react, he was shocked by electricity, and thrown across the room.

Ford saw the attack through blurred vision. "Bill..." He wheezed, too weak to get out of his current situation. Bill just barely heard the man's voice.

"Hang in there, Sixer." Bill said. "This guy's forgotten that I can turn into whatever I want." He said with a smirk. "Now, I wonder what would hurt the most for someone like yourself." He said with a grin directed towards the shapeshifter.

"By _you?_ You're not powerful like you used to be." Stan said with a scoff. "You're nothing against me, without your old form." He stated.

"My old form..." Bill thought to himself, looking down and humming. A wide grin creeped up on his face. "My old form!" He repeated. The shapeshifter took a step back as he saw the death grin that was directed towards him. He watched as Bill levitated off the ground slightly, a beam of light surrounding his body. The shapeshifter screeched at the bright light, and Ford merely closed his eyes, too weak from the blood loss to where he could hardly move.

The beam of light surrounding Bill ceased, and when Ford and the shapeshifter looked over, Bill was floating in the air, his ordinary triangular self.

"Oh, yes!" Bill beamed, looking down at his four-fingered hands, his voice echoing as he spoke. "I can already feel my power _boiling!" _He said.

Ford looked on through his blurry vision in disbelief. He brought himself to wonder if Bill was now going to be stuck in that form once again thanks to the near unlimited possibilities of the dreamscape.

Bill looked at the shapeshifter and laughed. "I can't wait to tear you and the others limb from limb!" He said, rubbing his hands together.

"You have no idea how to defeat us!" Stan claimed with a glare.

"Just you wait! It's only a matter of time until ol' Fordsy and I get out of here, leaving your rotting corpses behind." Bill responded

Stan smirked, regardless of the fear rushing through him. "You can't escape with him if he's dead." He said.

"Wh- huh?" Bill questioned, confused. He turned to look over by the vending machine and saw Ford still pinned against the wall, barely able to fight to stay awake.

"Damage might not be permanent in here, but if he bleeds out, he's a goner for real." Stan said.

Bill's eye got large. He brought a ring of fire down upon the shapeshifter before rushing over to Ford's aid. Bill heard the humans labored breathing and wrapped his arms around one of the large spikes. He placed his feet on the side of the wall and struggled to pull the large spike out of the wall. The shapeshifter saw his attempt and laughed.

Bill turned around, his eye turning red at the shapeshifter. When he snapped, the fire around the creature grew larger.

"Magic..." Ford forced out through half lidded eyes, glancing over at Bill's struggling. The demon stopped struggling and looked at him in confusion. Ford coughed twice and gasped for air before attempting to speak. "Y-you... have magic, d-don't you?" Ford reminded.

"Fair point." Bill said. He raised his hands as the spikes were all removed from Ford at once, causing the old man to fall to the floor. He managed to lean up against the wall whilst sitting down, however unfortunately that was about all he could manage to do for the time being.

"Please..." Ford said in a near whisper. Bill knew what the man was hoping for. He was able to heal Ford's wounds, however the blood that had been robbed from him still remained absent in his body.

The shapeshifter in the form of Ford came up from downstairs. He saw the wreck that the gift shop was in, the blue fire surrounding Stan, Bill looking like his ordinary self, and worst of all, Ford suffering from blood loss. The shapeshifter turned to look at Stan and glared.

"You idiot!" Edward hollered, walking towards Stan with a glare. "We need Pines alive. Otherwise we'll all end up dead." He said. The male shapeshifter levitated Ford into the air, not bothering to be gentle.

"Hey! Be careful with him, you bird brain!" Bill said, glaring at the shapeshifter.

"Don't think about insulting me." The shapeshifter posing as Ford said. "I can make things much worse for you, just as much as I can with him." He warned. Before Bill could respond, he was taken aback when Ford was surrounded by a red substance that quickly fled towards him, entering him through his skin. Ford groaned at this, but could feel himself becoming stronger than his previously weak state. After a moment of confusing pain, he was dropped to the hard floor.

"You can torture Stanford all you want, but don't let him die." Edward spat.

"Ugh, alright." The female shapeshifter who posed as Stan muttered. "What do we do with them now?" He asked.

The supposed Ford shrugged. "Well, I suppose we should-" He continued, until he looked over at where the two others recently were. He growled when he noticed that Bill and Ford had fled from the gift shop.

"Don't let them escape!" Edward commanded before himself and the supposed Stan bolted out of the gift shop and into the living room.

Meanwhile, Bill and Ford had sped through the living room, and out the back door. Ford was limping slightly being that he had just been on the verge of death, not to mention the pace that the blood had entered his body. Bill couldn't very well help Ford along, being that his triangular form was likely too small to do so.

"How do we defeat shapeshifters again?" Bill asked. The echoey tone made Ford flinch, as he wasn't used to hearing it. Regardless he adjusted his glasses as he limp-ran.

"We can freeze them in chambers." Ford responded.

"Freeze them in chambers, yet still keeping them inside of your mind?" Bill began, looking at Ford with confusion in his eye. "There's gotta be another solution." He said.

Ford huffed and glared, glancing over at the demon as they proceeded to rush through the woods. "Well, we... wouldn't have been in this mess, had you not... made deals with them in the first place." He spat, panting slightly as he ran. Bill seemed to have either ignored his statement, or gone silent. Ford stopped running, and leaned an arm against a tree. Bill noticed the man had stopped running and turned around.

"What's the hold up, smarty pants?" Bill asked, putting his hands on his triangular hips.

Ford, who clutched his throat as he breathed, sighed. "I'm sorry." He muttered. "I... shouldn't have said that." He said.

Bill groaned with an eye roll. "Now's not the time for regrets, Sixer." He said.

Ford gave a nod. "You're right." He said, still trying to catch his breath a bit more before running again. He started off too quickly and fell to the ground not long after taking motion once more. Bill saw the man drop to the grass and stopped again. He hovered down to the ground and grasped Ford's arm with his hands, trying to hold up the arm to lift the human. Ford could hear Bill struggling and took his other arm, placing it on the ground and getting up on his knees.

"No... no, I'm... I'm fine." Ford tried to assure, regardless of his labored breathing.

Bill gave him a deadpan look. "You nearly died back there, Stanford. You're not fine." He stated.

"I refuse to stop." Ford responded, getting on one knee. "I'm not dying until I know that we- _you _will get out safe." He said before standing up from the grass, his legs shaking slightly.

Bill felt a bit of guilt for causing the situation that Ford and him could potentially die in. The guilt felt odd- if he was his normal self (At least, in the dreamscape) how come he still felt the human emotions if he had gotten access to all his power? He wondered if the humans he had been around for the past year had rubbed off on him, infecting them with their feelings. Surely it couldn't have been _him _that had made the change, no matter how close he had gotten with Ford over the year. Just because he shared similar affection with the human didn't mean he was going soft.

"We'll kill these suckers one way or another." Bill said. He held a small hand out, and a blue flame sparked. "I've got my old power back! So we have an advantage as long as I've got this body." He said with a grin. Just after Bill said those words, he felt a strange feeling building up inside of him. He looked down at his hands in confusion to see them turning from small and black to longer and pale. He gasped as he felt himself fall to the grass. Bill looked down at himself, only to see that he was a human once more.

"Seriously?" Bill whined. "Every time, _every time__! _Why do we always have to be jinxed?" He asked.

"It's quite odd, actually," Ford agreed. "It's almost as if fate is determined as the opposite of most things we say to create fictional comedy." He said, narrowing his eyes as he thought on this.

"Now's not the time for pointless theories, Sixer!" Bill spat with a huff. "Do ya' think I can turn back again?" He asked, standing up.

Ford thought about the question for a moment, only for nothing to come to mind. "I'm... not sure." He admitted in a mutter. Bill hummed and tried to turn back once more.

"Trying is pointless." A voice from behind said. The voice was female, and familiar to the two. Ford and Bill turned around to look at the creature who had spoke to reveal a shapeshifter that took the role of Wendy.

"Which one are you?" Ford asked with narrowed eyes.

The shapeshifter ignored Ford. "We just made it so that the two of you can't use any dreamscape powers you or any other ordinary person could have in reality." She said with a mocking grin.

"We can still hurt you." Bill threatened. "And with the specific body you're in, it won't be too difficult for me to punch ya' to Mars." He said.

"You know, I'd like to see you try." The shapeshifter posing as Wendy replied. Bill growled at the supposed teenager, but chose not to attack just yet.

The shapeshifter posing as Wendy laughed. "Wow. What a coward." She mocked.

"I'll show _you _who's the coward when I see you begging for mercy before me!" Bill shot with a glare.

Wendy smirked. "Interesting. Where'd you learn to toughen up like that, softie?" She proceeded to mock.

It took every sense of resistance Bill had to stop himself from strangling the teenager. He turned to Ford with a glare. "Can I kill _her?" _He asked.

"I'm not sure if we can." Ford replied. "As much as I hate to admit it, they may be too powerful compared to us." He said.

"What's this?" Wendy began. "Stanford Pines, giving up?" She questioned with an innocent smile.

"I'm not giving up any time soon." Ford shot back with a glare.

The shapeshifter smirked. "Well then, this'll be fun." She said before extending an arm out by her side, a long, sharp katana sword appearing in her hand. Once she felt the weapon in her hand, she ran up to the other two, her eyes directed at Ford.

The sword was slashed at Ford. Luckily the scientist had ducked down just before the sword could slice through his skin. He ignored the sore feeling in his chest and slung his leg at the shapeshifter from the ground, tripping her and rolling out of the way as Wendy fell to the ground. She looked up at the scientist with a glare apparent.

Bill tried summoning a weapon, only to be reminded that himself and Ford no longer had access to those basic dreamscape abilities of summoning objects thanks to the shapeshifters. He attempted summoning fire and was relieved to see a blue flame emerge from his palm as Wendy arose from the ground.

"Ha!" Bill exclaimed with a evil grin. "I've still got my basic magic, lady." He revealed.

Wendy scoffed. "That won't do much to help you." She said. "Do you even know how to attack with your magic?" She asked.

Bill was about to speak, only for him to stop himself. Other than snapping and setting things aflame, he had never exactly learned any defensive actions or moves with his magic. He wondered if Ford would be willing to explore that idea with him later on- if their slim chances of making it out alive came true, that is.

"I know enough to burn you to a crisp." Bill replied with narrowed eyes.

"Scary." Wendy said with obvious sarcasm in her voice. Bill put both his arms beside him, bending his arms and igniting flames in both his hands, the flames circling his palms. The shapeshifter held her katana close, holding it out towards Bill when he came closer to her. Bill poked the tip of the sword with his index finger, the blade going up in flames. He giggled at the drop of blood trickling down his finger. His smirk grew when he saw Wendy exclaim in alarm, dropping the sword immediately and pulling away, her arms close to her as she cowered away from the sword. The katana that was aflame disappeared before it could fall to the ground.

"Child's play." Bill cooed with a mischievous grin.

Wendy looked at the demon for a moment before speaking. "Okay..." She began. "Okay." She repeated. "So maybe you're not so powerless. But we still have the upper hand against you puny humans." She spat. Wendy raised a hand up, yanking it down as Ford was forced down to the ground on his stomach, his chest aching from the sudden fall after his previous attack with the spikes that had nearly killed him. before Bill could help the man, he gasped at the sight of a deep black pit that looked like a portal on the ground behind him.

"Hasta la vista." Wendy said to the demon. Before he knew it, a large, sudden gust of powerful wind pushed him up off the ground slightly. Bill felt himself flowing backwards towards the black hole where he would surely face his death. And with nothing to hold onto, no way to fight back, there was no way for him to fight back against the powerful wind Wendy had summoned. Wendy smirked at the fearful look on Bill's face. Ford could feel the wind blowing his hair, however the force keeping him down on the ground made it so that he was unable to fall backwards alongside Bill.

Ford looked over at Bill as the demon began to pass by him by the force of the wind. He could just barely move his arm if he pushed himself to do so. Groaning at the intense pain shooting through his body at the attempt to move against the force holding him down, he managed to grab hold of Bill's ankle just before the demon was too far from him to reach out to.

At the moment, the only thing keeping Bill from floating backwards towards his death was Ford's grip that held onto him. Wendy glared at the scientist that was keeping Bill still standing on the edge of life.

"My father wants you dead!" Wendy screamed with a scowl, releasing another wave of wind that caused Ford's grip on Bill's ankle to loosen. Surely if he only had five fingers, his grip on the other man would have been loosened completely. This was a very uncommon moment where Ford felt grateful for his abnormal birth defect. He kept his grip strong once more as he felt Bill begin to slip away from his grasp. The gust of wind forced Bill's head back, the demon crashing to the ground on his back. He groaned at the intense feeling of the hard ground hitting his back, however he knew that it was much better than the more dangerous fate only about ten feet away from him.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?" Wendy grumbled. A third and final gust of wind caused Ford to finally lose his desperate grip on Bill. The demon cried out as he felt the warm hands touch off his ankle. Ford used all his strength to fight against the deep force that was keeping him down, inching just a bit closer to Bill so that he could weakly grab hold of him. Ford squinted his eyes shut as he pulled Bill's leg closer to him slowly but surely.

"Why are you helping him?" Wendy asked Ford. The man ignored the shapeshifter and proceeded his desperate attempt to bring Bill to safety. "After all he's done to hurt you?" Wendy continued.

Ford heard the shapeshifter, yet he didn't respond.

"What's he ever done for you?" Wendy questioned more thoroughly, still controlling the wind with her arms out. "Nothing good from what I've seen in your memories. He's lied to you, manipulated you, and worst of all; he's broken your heart." She reminded.

"Stop talking." Ford commanded suddenly, his voice raspy.

Wendy smirked. "You can't deny the truth, old man." She said. "His evil ways have caused you and your family so much misery. Yet instead of returning the favor and letting go of him, you feel the need to save his life?" She said, disbelief in his voice. "You're a foolish man, Stanford Pines." Wendy stated.

"Don't listen to her, Sixer!" Bill pleaded, noticing that Ford had stopped pulling him forward, only holding onto him now.

"Bill's the one who got you into this mess in the first place." Wendy reminded. "He made all those deals my dad told me about, and never even _thought _to mention it to you until it was too late!" She said. "You have a chance to get rid of him once and for all, why not take it?" She asked.

Ford was silent for a moment, looking down at the ground below him. "You're..." He began, speaking proving itself to be a challenge as the force tried to keep him down on the ground, Ford still holding onto Bill's ankle. "You're right." He agreed.

"Wh- Wait! " Bill called out, a fearful expression apparent.

Ford nodded his head slowly, a movement that _wasn't _difficult. "You're absolutely right. Bill _has _caused a lot of trouble. Both in the past, and recently. There are many logical reasons why I should let go of him right now." He said.

"Stanford!" Bill wailed, his eyes wide.

Ford glanced down at the ground once more before drawing his eyes over to the shapeshifter, a scowl on his face. "But I won't." He stated. "I won't let go. And I won't let you talk me out of it." He said. Bill gave a sigh of relief at this. He felt like kicking himself for thinking that Ford would turn unloyal on him so suddenly.

The shapeshifter narrowed her eyes. "You're making a mistake." Wendy claimed.

"Perhaps in your eyes." Ford admitted. "In fact, I would have felt the exact same way just last year. But things are different now. A type of different that I wouldn't expect you to understand." He said.

"Think about the deals he's made!" Wendy tried.

"Hey, you listen!" Bill commanded, just barely managing to look over at the shapeshifter without his head being thrown back once again. He grunted before continuing. "If I hadn't made those deals, you wouldn't be alive right now, kid!" He stated.

The shapeshifters eyes widened. Suddenly, the wind began to stop and fade to a breeze. Bill fell to the ground, the black portal disappeared, and the force keeping Ford from moving was revoked. Ford was quick to rush to the other man's side. Wendy's arms slowly fell beside her as she looked on at Bill in disbelief.

"Is... Is that true?" The shapeshifter asked, a look of both confusion and guilt apparent.

Bill then sat criss-cross on the ground, ignoring the pain in his back. "Yeah, it is." He replied. "If I didn't make those deals back then, only your dad would exist right now. Well, if he wasn't dead by now, that is." He said.

The shapeshifter was in complete shock. A tear welled at the side of her eye before she dropped down to her knees, covering her face with her hands as a teardrop rolled down her cheek.

"And here I was, about to kill you." The shapeshifter posing as Wendy wept. She swallowed and spoke, regardless of the lump in her throat. "I'm so sorry." She apologized, putting her hands in her hair as she squinted her eyes shut, tears falling from her eyes.

Bill wasn't sure how to respond. His mouth hung open slightly as he looked on at the emotional creature. "Hey, uh... don't cry, kid." He tried, unsure of how to comfort the shapeshifter.

"I almost killed my creator." Wendy said in a near whisper, looking down at the palms of her hands below her.

Bill looked at the shapeshifter, then away, then back at her again. "So... does this mean we can leave?" He asked.

"What?" Wendy began. She shook her head. "No. My dad would be furious." She stated. "If I can even call him that..." She added in a mutter.

"We're toast." Bill groaned, his forehead falling atop Ford's shoulder as he sighed. The thought of him and Stanford both facing the edge of death just within an hour was hard to fathom, and he was sure that they would both be faced with many more challenges.

"Please, is there any way you could assist us?" Ford asked the shapeshifter.

Wendy went silent for a moment, unsure of how to answer the question. "Honestly..." She began, shaking her head. "I don't think so." She admitted. "My dad wants information from Bill. Information on how he can become immortal and emerge to other dreamscapes even _after _you die, Stanford. Without that, he expects that Bill will become a literal dead man." She informed.

"I already told that bonehead I don't know how to do that." Bill spat, folding his arms and looking away.

"He's convinced you're lying." The shapeshifter replied.

Bill looked at the teenage shapeshifter. "Me? Lying?" He said with a scoff. After a moment of silence he grinned. "Smart of him to assume so." He praised.

Wendy tilted her head. "So you _do _know how to do what he's hoping?" She asked.

"Oh no, I don't know that." Bill clarified. "But what I _do _know is that he's a big jerk who I shouldn't have given powers to in the first place." He said through clenched teeth.

Bill felt a hand on his shoulder, and assumed it to be Ford's hence the warmth from it, as well as the extra finger. Not to mention that Ford was right beside him. From behind, he said, "A foolish mistake on your behalf, wasn't it?"

The true Ford shivered when he heard his voice coming out of another brings mouth. He turned his head to look behind Bill, seeing a figure of himself standing there with his shoulder atop the demons shoulder.

"No need to rub it in my face further, Sixer." Bill said with an eye roll.

Ford glared at the creature standing behind Bill and brought his hand down towards his hip, grabbing hold of the gun that he kept in the holster that was typically hidden by his trench coat. He charged up the gun and pointed it at the shapeshifter, letting the bullet shoot the creature in the chest. Bill heard the supposed Ford scream and turned his head around in confusion, only for the low shout to be replaced by a high pitched screech.

"Dad!" Wendy exclaimed, looking at the other shapeshifter as green blood emerged from his chest. She ran over to her father, getting on her knees and healing the other shapeshifter.

"Follow me!" Ford commanded suddenly, grabbing Bill's wrist as he dashed away from the others, going further into the forest.

"Where are we going?" Bill asked, pushing past branches that threatened to hit him in the face as they ran through bushes and around trees.

"I'm not sure." Ford admitted. "Anywhere away from the shapeshifters for the time being." He said.

Bill tripped over a stump and fell face-first onto the ground. Ford turned around and saw the fallen man. Bill got to his knees and took hold of Ford's extended hand. Bill felt himself being pulled up back on his feet by the other man, and the two proceeded to dash through the forest.

After about two minutes of running, Bill felt as though his lungs were on fire. Ford seemed a bit out of breath, though he had grown used to running for long periods of time throughout his travels in the multiverse. This distance was _nothing _compared to how long he could run for. Bill couldn't say the same, however. Even through the crunches of leaves and twigs below them as they ran, as well as the rustling of the branches, Ford could hear the blondes labored breathing from behind him.

Bill was both confused and relieved when Ford stopped running. The scientist turned around to look at the other, seeing Bill gasping for air as he placed his hands atop his knees.

"Tired?" Ford asked, even though the answer was clear.

"Psh, y-you kidding? I... I could... do this all... all day." Bill wheezed, failing to catch his breath. Ford wasn't sure if Bill was being sarcastic, or hoping to be reassuring as to not worry him about his lungs that felt as though they could pop at any moment.

"I'm not so sure if I can rely on that reassurance." Ford replied. Without warning, he took one of Bill's arms and slung it over his shoulder, picking the blonde up from off the ground and carrying him bridal style. Bill gasped at this, in fear that one of the shapeshifters had grabbed him, and coughed violently just after torturing his lungs with such an action.

"There has to be a way out of here." Ford said, proceeding to move forward as Bill huddled up close in his arms, his chest heaving.

"There's... there's one way." Bill revealed quietly.

Ford looked down at the man. "And you didn't think to mention that earlier?" He asked in a firmer manner than he had intended. Bill didn't respond, and for a moment Ford got distracted with the feeling of the blondes warm breath brushing the side of his neck rather than looking where he was going. Ford knew the forest well, though he dreaded the chance of him taking a wrong turn and being confronted by the shapeshifters again.

"What is it?" Ford then asked. He heard the noise of a twig snapping from behind him, and began to run once more. "What do we have to go to get out of my mind?" He questioned.

"It's a... I-It's a..." Bill tried, his breath failing him.

"Come on, Bill." Ford encouraged desperately, looking down at Bill and shaking the man gently.

Bill took a moment. Ford was patient with him, trying to ignore the fact that they were crunching on time until the shapeshifters potentially caught up to them.

"W-We'll ha-ave to stop." Bill said.

"We can't stop." Ford responded. "They'll find us."

"S-So let's leave before they _can." _Bill said.

Ford sighed and proceeded to run through the forest. "You're right." He muttered. Ford let go of Bill with one of his hands, holding Bill around his waist as Ford kept him close. Bill gave a quick cry of surprise at the sudden motion. Using his other hand, Ford jumped up and grabbed hold of a branch on a nearby tree. Bill whimpered as he felt himself being lifted up off the ground, and clung to Ford in fear that he would slip away from the stronger man's grasp. Bill felt pathetic for not being able to do anything but depend on Ford's instincts, though on the other hand he couldn't stop himself from feeling safe in the scientists care.

"I've got you." Ford assured, making his grip around Bill's waist tighter. He pulled them both up with help of the branch he held onto, and kicked one of his feet up, his boot against the bark on the tree. Ford gave a grunt as he pulled himself and Bill up a bit higher, high enough to where they could sit atop the sturdy branch.

Bill looked down at the ground and shuddered at the possibility of him falling. He wrapped his hands around the branch in hopes that it would help him if he _were _to slip off the branch.

"So, what was that about the solution to this situation?" Ford asked.

"The trick will let us out of your mind, but the shapeshifters can just bring us back here whenever they please." Bill informed.

"Perfect." Ford grumbled under his breath. He looked at Bill. "So our only permanent solution is to kill them?" He asked.

"Killing would work." Bill agreed. "It's a long shot, but if we have the right techniques, we might have a chance at getting out of here alive." He said.

Ford sighed. "I just wish we weren't in this mess to begin with." He muttered.

Bill nodded slowly, frowning. "Yeah. I just wish I could call this whole thing off." He said. Bill folded his arms, not paying any attention to the ground that was about seven feet below him. He thought about the situation for a moment, his eyes beginning to widen.

"Wait..." Bill began, a skeptical look on his face. Ford raised an eyebrow at this. Suddenly Bill gave a wide grin. "That's it!" He exclaimed with a grin. "If I call off the deal, these suckers won't be able to do anything about it!" He said. "We have to find the shapeshifters." Bill stated.

Ford hummed at this. "Are you sure about this?" He asked. "We just escaped for a bit, and now you want to go back?" He questioned.

"It's our best option." Bill retorted. He looked at the other with a tilted head. "You trust me on this, don't you?" He asked.

Ford went silent. He looked stunned, before taking his eyes off Bill and instead looking at the ground below they hovered above. _Trust. _That was a sensitive word for Ford. And while he had grown to open up to others again over the year, admitting to trusting someone was still a risk.

Bill, who noticed the hesitancy, shrugged. "I guess I've got my answer." He muttered. He put a leg to the side in hopes of finding a way to get off the tree safely.

"Wait." Ford said suddenly, putting a hand out. Bill froze and looked at the man. The scientist sighed. _"Yes. _I do trust you on this." He said.

Bill didn't hide his surprise at the answer. "Wh-?" He began, unsure of how to respond. Eventually he smirked. "What's this? Stanford Pines, trusting _me?" _He teased.

"You seem to know more about this situation than I do, and I would rather see what you have in mind than give up and swan dive into certain death." Ford stated.

Bill gave a nod. "Good point." He said. "Now how are we supposed to get down?" He wondered, looking down at the ground. When he looked back over where Ford sat, the man was no longer there. Bill raised an eyebrow, worried. "Uh... Sixer?" He called out. Bill looked at the ground on the other side of him and saw Ford already down from the tree, seemingly unharmed.

"Jump, I'll catch you." Ford said, his arms out. Bill was hesitant. What if he missed? What if Ford _didn't _catch him, accidentally or intentionally? Ford saw the look of hesitance on Bill's face. He cracked a quick plan to get Bill out of the tree.

_"Look, _an _axolotl!" _Ford hollered suddenly, pointing up at the sky. Bill's eyes widened.

_"Where?" _Bill cried out, looking up at the sky. He forgot about his grip on the tree and stumbled sideways. Bill looked at his legs as they slipped off the branch as he fell out of the tree. Ford held his arms out once more and caught Bill as he fell. Bill landed in the man's arms and looked up at him with a glare.

"You tricked me!" Bill scolded, giving Ford a quick slap on the shoulder. He folded his arms and huffed, looking away in embarrassment.

Ford just smiled. "You're out of the tree now, aren't you?" He asked.

"Yeah, but it wasn't a very safe solution, smart guy." Bill replied with an eye roll. "You just wanted another excuse to hold me in your arms." He said with a smirk.

"And you must like it enough to where you're still in my grasp." Ford teased.

"I'm sure there's a few things you'd like to grasp, be more specific." Bill replied.

Ford's cheeks flushed slightly, and he looked on into the distance. Bill noticed the man's expression and just laughed.

"You walked straight into that one, didn't ya'?" Bill said with a grin.

"L-Lets not waste time." Ford stated, avoiding the question and walking back in the other direction.

Bill smirked and shrugged. "Sure, nerd." He said, wrapping his arms around Ford's neck as Ford proceeded to walk back toward the shack. If they died, and if these were going to be their last moments together, he wanted to at least make the best of it. At the thought of this, Bill nuzzled his cheek into Ford's chest with a sigh.

* * *

"Where the hell did they go?" The shapeshifter Jenna, who posed as Stan, asked as the three stood in the gift shop once more.

"I'm not sure." Wendy lied. "I was too busy helping dad that I couldn't see." She said. And while she didn't want her father to be upset with losing Ford and Bill, she figured that she owed it to the humans to give them a chance of escape. It's the least she could do for them after nearly sending Bill into a blank, black vortex that would have lead him to certain death.

"We have to find them." The supposed Ford said. "The question is _how-"_

"There they are." Stan said with half lidded eyes, pointing behind Ford. The shapeshifters all turned around to look at the gift shop door, as it was opened by Bill. Ford stood behind him, looking at their enemies with narrowed eyes.

"Turning yourselves in, I see?" Edward, who posed as Ford, asked with a smirk. "What a shame to see two supposedly strong humans giving up so easily." He mocked.

"Giving up?" Bill repeated with a scoff. "Oh, I wouldn't call it_ that. _We have a little something else in mind..." He said, walking towards the shapeshifters.

"Don't get too close, I just might kill you in front of your precious human." Edward warned.

Wendy's eyes widened. "Dad, that's a little cruel." She stated, only for her father to ignore.

"You had plans to kill me, anyway." Bill replied with narrowed eyes.

"Oh, I would have had plans to kill both of you." Edward said. He took the form of Bill and put his hands on his hips. "Unfortunately, if the human dies, we all die." He said.

Ford put a finger up awkwardly. "Can... can we avoid the human label-?"

"The human is innocent." Wendy argued suddenly, putting her hands on her hips.

Ford put his finger down. "Nevermind, then." He muttered.

Stan put his hands on his hips. "Jenna the sequel, don't argue with your father." He commanded. "What'd the human have to bribe you with to getcha' to say that?" He asked.

"Nothing!" The shapeshifter posing as Wendy said. "But none of this is any fun." She wailed.

"Don't act up now, child." Edward, who now took the form of Bill, commanded. He looked for Ford and Bill, only to see that they were gone.

"Again? Seriously?" Edward scoffed.

Ford and Bill had snuck through the 'Employee's only' door in hopes of getting a moment to talk. They stood by the stairs that lead upstairs, Bill leaning against it a bit.

"What if this doesn't work?" Bill asked suddenly.

Ford furrowed his brows slightly. "Wh- You said that it would work, and that they wouldn't be able to stop it. Surely it will work, won't it?" He asked.

"I hope so." Bill said with a frown. He looked at Ford for a moment before looking away. "But just in case it doesn't... I want you to know that I'm sorry." He said.

Ford raised an eyebrow. "Bill, we don't have time for-"

"Then let's make time." Bill replied. "I messed up, and there's no excuse around it. I-I should have told you earlier, before it had gotten too late. This is all my fault, and I don't want to potentially find out this plan was a bust without telling you that I really am sorry." He said with a sigh.

Ford gave a slow nod. He extended his arms out and embraced the blonde in a gentle hug. Bill frowned and returned the affectionate gesture he felt that he didn't deserve to experience. Ford leaned closer to Bill's ear. In a mutter, he said, "Everything will be alright."

"In your dreams." The voice of Bill replied.

Ford pulled away and looked at Bill with a tilted head. "What now?" He asked, confused. The two looked over by the living room doorframe in unison to see the shapeshifter posing as Bill standing beside it.

Edward walked towards the other two. He appeared to be alone. "There's no happy ending for the two of you, I'm afraid." He said. "And when I get that power of immortality, I won't hesitate to execute you both." He said with an evil-like grin.

"It's me you're after, not him." Bill stated, taking a step closer to the shapeshifter with narrowed eyes. It nearly looked to Bill as if he were looking in a mirror, the only difference being the glare and the grin.

"And what a shame it will be for Stanford to suffer such pain." The supposed Bill said, walking past the real Bill and walking towards Ford. He placed his hands atop the scientists chest. "I really did like you." He said with a smirk. "And all the things we did." He added, licking his lips.

Ford quickly took a step backwards, moving the shapeshifters hands away from him. He wore a look of disgust, horror, and confusion all put into one.

"That... that was you?" Ford asked, shivering at the thought.

Bill's eyes widened, his mouth hung open. "Wait, Shifty was telling the _truth _about that?" He asked, stunned.

"No, that can't be right." Ford muttered to himself, shaking his head slowly. "It-It was just a..."

"A dream?" The shapeshifter posing as Bill asked, finishing the scientists sentence. He grinned. "I think you're forgetting where you are right now, Fordsy." He said.

Bill groaned. _"Please _tell me that the hypnosis you mentioned was true, too." He practically pleaded.

"Oh, it was." Edward said with a nod, turning to look at Bill. He grinned. "How unfortunate that the human couldn't tell the difference." He said with a laugh. Bill clenched his fists and growled, jumping at the shapeshifter and technically tackling himself to the ground.

"Sixer, get your gun out and shoot this jerk!" Bill commanded, twisting the shapeshifters arm. Edward groaned and punched Bill in the stomach, making a somersault with him and tackling him to the ground. Ford was quick to pull out his gun before he lost track of who was the real Bill. Edward smacked Bill across the face before Bill grabbed his wrist, kicked him between the legs, and turned them around in a quick motion. Edward groaned and glared at Bill as the demon grasped his shoulders, shaking him roughly to where the shapeshifters head hit the hard floor with every slam.

"Shoot him!" Bill shouted, glaring at the shapeshifter below him as he proceeded to take his rage out on the creature.

Ford looked at the two in unsureness. He tried to read who was who based on their facial expressions. The Bill atop the other had Bill's signature rage-glare apparent, whereas the Bill below the other was groaning and wailing at the intense pain. Ford had seen both Bill's rage-glare, and how he reacted to pain he couldn't seem to find funny. They were both exactly accurate to how Ford had studied Bill's moods throughout the past year.

"What are you waiting for?" Bill asked Ford, proceeding to slam the shapeshifters head against the floor. He wondered if he hit the creatures head against the floor enough, perhaps it would prevent the poser from remembering Ford's touch.

"F-Fordsy, help me!" The other Bill pleaded in a wail, panting and letting out a loud cry of pain as his head continued to be attacked onto the wooden floor. Ford narrowed his eyes. The Bill he was looking at sounded much too desperate to possibly be the Bill _he _knew. If the Bill being attacked really was the real one, he would be trying to fight back, rather than just taking the pain and begging for someone to help. Ford was quick to charge up his gun, shooting the Bill on bottom a total of three times in the chest.

The other shapeshifters had heard the gun shots, and were quick to rush over towards the others. Jenna and her daughter Jenna the sequel, looked down at the other who had been shot. Edward screamed in pain, green blood splattering about. Jenna covered her daughter's eyes in hopes of keeping her child from seeing such a horrifying thing.

Before the other shapeshifters could rush to Edwards aid, Ford shot a warning bullet down at the ground right in front of the others, which stopped the shapeshifters from moving. Bill then took the opportunity to snap his fingers, blue flames making a circle around the creatures.

Edward proceeded to screech in pain. Bill got down on his knees and grabbed the shapeshifters yellow shirt, pulling him close as Bill looked at him with a glare.

"The deal's _off!"_ Bill shouted, starting the shapeshifter down. Edwards screeching only intensified. In a matter of moments, Edward saw his family turn into dust from the sidelines of the fight.

"No!" The shapeshifter had the strength to shout. "Y-You'll pay for this, Cipher!" He vowed.

"That's what they all say." Bill replied with an eye roll. He stood up and put his hands on his hips with a grin. "Hmm, let's see. We've got our ordinary dreamscape powers back now that you've lost all your authority here. Let's decide your fate, shall we?" He said with a laugh. Bill lifted Edward into the air, the creature unable to breath as he did so. Bill grinned an evil-like grin and slammed the shapeshifter against the wall twice before tossing him up in the air. He let Edward hit the ceiling before Bill looked at him, shooting lasers out of his eyes and making quick work of turning the creature into particles that encircled the air.

Bill panted heavily, his fists clenched by his sides as he looked above at the creature he had finally gotten rid of. Ford looked on with wide-eyes. He had seen much worse situations, yes, though he was stunned that Bill had gone off so brutally on the shapeshifter.

"Good riddance, bastard." Bill spat with a grumble. He turned around to look at Ford. He saw the surprised look on the man's face and gave an awkward chuckle. "So uh... that happened." He began.

"This was an unpredictability wonderful outcome." Ford said. "I can't believe it worked." He continued.

"Did Fordsy doubt my methods?" Bill asked with a smirk.

"Well, partially-" Ford admitted.

"Don't make that mistake again." Bill advised. Ford raised an eyebrow, but nodded nonetheless with a chuckle.

A moment of silence passed by. Eventually Ford sighed. "So, should we return to reality? There's no point staying here any longer now" He said.

"Heck yeah, I'm all worn out." Bill said with a nod of his head.

"Well, then I say suppose there's only one thing left to do." Ford said. Bill nodded in agreement.

* * *

The two woke up in the bed in unison, sitting up slightly. They looked at the clock, then at each other to tell that a total of three hours had gone by.

Bill sighed. "Well, at least that's all over with." He muttered, getting up close and comfortable with the other man. Ford draped a strong arm overtop Bill and ran a hand through the demons blonde hair. Bill looked up at him in the dark room with half-lidded eyes. Ford tilted his head to the side and grabbed the blondes chin in a gentle manner, stealing a kiss from the man. Bill hummed into the kiss softly before shutting his eyes, sleep catching his attention after leaning his head by Ford's shoulder.

Ford gave a small smile. Sure the past few hours may have been horrible, however Ford was just glad he as well as Bill had gotten out of the dreamscape alive. Alive and alright. That's all that he could find that mattered in this moment. They were safe now. As safe as they _could _be, that is.

For the time being, anyway...

**Well, there's the end of this chapter. I'll admit, I feel a bit insecure about bits of it. I wrote the last 2kish words of this last night at 5:00 in the morning, so that's probably where most of the insecurities are coming from. Heh... well, I'm sorry for the wait, a lot has been going on recently, and there was a lot of action in this chapter that I had to attempt putting down into words. I hope the action was good. ****This chapter is a longer one, so hopefully the word count makes up for the wait..? I don't know.**

**The shapeshifters are gone now, but there's still mystery that lurks around the corner...**

**The next chapter will be up soon. c:**


	50. Wounds

**Question- Should I write more Soos, Melody and Brock bonding? I know this fic is mainly based around Bill and Ford, but I'm wondering if I should give them some attention as well. Let me know what you think! **

**Also, just a quick warning for blood in this chapter. **

**Here is chapter 50 of "Welcome Home"! **

The next morning went slowly. The Mystery Shack was open, and Bill was working the register while Wendy took her "break". Bill made an effort at his job for the day, being that he now was being paid with a proper paycheck thanks to the bet Ford had made with Stan.

Bill turned to look at the door as Stan walked through it, holding a box in his arms labeled, "Stuff". Stan walked up to a middle-aged man.

"You there," Stan began, catching the customers attention. "Ya' want some weird, magic potion I stole from a nerdy, dumber version of Einstien?" He asked. The man eagerly nodded his head, reaching his hands out for the potion. Stan put a hand up and said, "It'll be fifty bucks."

The gullible customer pulled out his wallet and gave a fifty dollar bill to the con man. Stan grinned and pocketed the money, handing the customer said potion. Before the customer turned to leave, Stanley leaned in close to the customers ear.

"You take that and run, ya' hear?" Stan said in a hushed tone. The customer nodded and bolted out of the gift shop with a grin.

"What's in the box, Stano?" Bill asked, handing a customer her bags and returning the wave she had gestured towards him as she walked to the door.

"I raided Ford's lab of random junk that could sell for a bunch of cash." Stan informed, placing the box on the floor by the counter. Bill leaned over the counter and looked down at it for a moment to see a mix of potions, gadgets and scrolls. Bill just shrugged and helped the next person in line at the cash register.

Stan took an arrow from out of his suit jacket.

"How long has that been there?" Bill asked.

Stan shrugged. "More of Ford's junk" He replied. He turned to look at the 'Employees only' door and saw his brother walk into the room. "Speak of the devil." He muttered.

Ford put his miniature notepad in his lab coat before looking up in the shop, noticing the box that was atop the cashier counter. He then noticed Stanley fiddling with an arrow in his hand.

_Where in the world did Stan get that? _Ford asked himself. He walked up to his brother and was quick to take the arrow from him. Stan tried to grab it, and Ford moved his arm backwards a bit.

"Come on, Pointdexter!" Stan practically whined. "What's the big deal?" He asked.

"Stanley, what is one of my arrows, as well a box of my stuff doing in the gift shop?" Ford questioned.

Stan shrugged. "Money." He responded without hesitation.

Ford rolled his eyes and walked over to the cash register. He grabbed the box beside it and placed it under one of his arms, the arrow in his other hand. Ford turned to leave the gift shop, only to feel a slight tug on his lab coat.

"Mister?" A young voice addressed. Ford raised an eyebrow and turned around, looking down to see a young boy standing there. The boy had short, black hair and glasses like Ford had worn during his childhood. The boys appearance reminded Ford a bit of himself back when he was young. He felt awkward being addressed by a strange child whom he had never met before, however he knew it would be rude to not respond.

"Do you need something?" Ford asked, turning around completely now to face the boy. Ford put the box back atop the cashier counter, and was about to place the arrow inside the box.

"Wait!" The young boy said suddenly, putting his hand out. Ford stopped and held the arrow in the air, tilting his head at the child. The boy looked at the arrow and pointed at it, asking, "Can I hold it?"

Ford was even more confused now. "Hold this?" He asked, signalling to the arrow. The boy nodded. "Why would you want to hold such a dangerous object?" Ford questioned.

The boy gave a simple shrug. "It looks cool." He said. "I've never seen one of those for real before. Just in movies." He continued

Ford hummed. The boy seemed very interested in the arrow. Ford too had been interested in them when he was younger, even though his mother would never let him use one. Many years had gone by since then though, and rules in this particular dimension could have changed up a bit. And besides, who was he to crush this young boys interest and admiration for the object? Ford handed the arrow down to the child, and the boy was quick to grab it, looking down at it with wide eyes.

"Wow," The boy said. He smiled. "This is so cool!"

Ford gave a light chuckle at the kids interest in the arrow. Bill just snorted. Ford looked at him with his brows furrowed slightly.

"What?" Ford asked.

Bill grinned a mocking grin before speaking. "Here's the scoop on this week's shenanigans; cute science nerd gives a kid a sharp arrow. Things can only go downhill from this point, folks!" He says before laughing.

Ford gave a look of unamusement at the sarcasm. He placed an arm atop the counter and leaned on it slightly, looking at the blonde. _"Please," _He began. "The young boy seemed interested. What could possibly go wrong?" He asked.

"Gee, I wonder." Bill said with half-lidded eyes.

The boy looked up at Ford, not wishing to hold the arrow any longer. "Thanks, mister!" The boy said with a wide grin. He tossed the arrow, assuming Ford would catch it in time. Ford turned his head to look at the boy, only to see danger flash before his eyes as the arrow pierced through his skin, not having enough time to have been able to grab the arrow. He felt the pain and looked behind him to see that the arrow had been thrown at his back.

Ford gave a sudden cry of pain. _"Ahh! _Something went wrong!" He exclaimed, getting down on his knees and placing his arms out in front of him as the arrow made a sideways cut in his back, falling out onto the gift shop floor. The customers in the shop screamed at the sight of the bleeding man and fled the store before both themselves or their children could witness the sight any longer.

The boy who caused the injury gasped at seeing the scientist bleeding now. He took a step back before bolting out of the gift shop with the other customers. The two others (Save Ford) were too stunned to stop the child.

"Sixer!" Bill and Stan addressed in unison. They both rushed to the man's side, unsure of what to do or how to help.

"That's the last time I'll let a strange child's curiosity get the best of me." Ford groaned.

"You alright there, bro?" Stan asked.

"I-Its nothing I haven't...delt with... before." Ford replied, panting slightly. Stan saw the blood seeping through his lab coat and grabbed the front of it, removing the garment from his brother. Bill grabbed hold of the arrow and looked at it to see a dribble of blood sliding down the crimson painted tip.

After her "break" was over, Wendy walked through the front door of the gift shop, a sack lunch in hand. She noticed Ford with an injury on his back, and observed further, seeing Bill holding the arrow.

"Hey!" Wendy exclaimed. She glared at Bill. "What did you do to him?" She asked the demon, walking up to him and balling a fist in his hair, forcing him up by tugging and looking at him with a cold glare.

"Ah- hey! I didn't do anything, kid!" Bill claimed, still holding the arrow.

"Really?" Wendy asked, not believing the man's claim. She snatched the arrow from his hand and held it up for him to see. "Then what's _this _doing in your hand?" She asked.

Ford coughed before speaking. "No, he's right." He said. Wendy looked down at him in confusion. "Bill did nothing to harm me." He assured.

"Not yet he hasn't." Stan muttered under his breath, receiving a glare from Bill which he chose to ignore.

"You need any help, other Mr. Pines?" Wendy asked.

Ford stood up and shook his head. "I'll be alright." He assured.

"Ford, you've got a cut in your back, I don't think you'll be alright that easily." Stan stated.

"As I said, I've delt with this before." Ford reminded. "I've been through enough medical procedures in the multiverse to know how to help myself." He assured.

Bill frowned at this. He tried to shake off the guilt. "Well you're not alone anymore, Sixer. I wanna help you." He said.

"Bill, it's fine-" Ford tried.

"It's _not _fine." Bill retorted.

"Let me handle this myself." Ford growled with furrowed brows. Bill caught on to the man's tone and took a small step backwards. Ford sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. He put his hands behind his back. "I appreciate your concern, Bill. But please let me handle this by myself. I would prefer it that way." He said.

Bill gave a skeptical look, but nodded nonetheless. "Alright, fine." He muttered.

"Thank you." Ford said just before turning away, walking through the 'Employees only' door to get the medical bag from the bathroom.

Stan watched his brother leave, his hands on his hips. "He'll be fine." He assured, glancing over at Bill.

The blonde couldn't find himself to believe Stan. He knew that Stan was currently unaware of what had happened with the shapeshifters the night before. Bill had seen the pain Ford had gone through, and he didn't want the man to feel it any longer. Sure the injuries weren't permanent, but the two of them had still felt the pain of the attacks in the dreamscape as if they _were _real.

"That darn kid." Bill grumbled. He looked back at Stan. "He should've known that Sixer wasn't looking when he threw that arrow." He said.

"To be fair, it's Pointdexter's fault for givin' it to the kid in the first place." Stan responded.

"That's true." Bill muttered, looking down at his feet before looking at Stan. "Ford's in pain and doesn't want help." He began once more. "I wonder why."

Stan gave a slow shrug "Eh, he's always been that way." He said; as if Bill didn't already know. "Like I said, he'll be fine." Stanley tried to assure.

* * *

Ford entered the bathroom and shut the door, locking it to be sure that no one would be able to come in. He reached his arm out towards the miniature cupboard behind the mirror and grabbed some supplies from the red medical bag he had specifically placed inside years ago. He took out things such as a bandage roll, scissors, cotton balls, and some hydrogen peroxide.

Ford looked in the mirror for a moment before grabbing the bottom of his sweater, pulling it up and off his torso to reveal his scarred arms and chest. He felt less insecure about his scars ever since Mabel had found out about them and had talked to him about it. He would have found it hard to fathom a nearly 14-year old girl being able to open his eyes in such a way had she not done it in the past as well.

He tried to turn to the side to see the injury in the mirror. He couldn't see it well, which would make his attempt to help himself much more difficult. Ford sighed and placed his hands on the counter. Surely it couldn't be that hard. He had delt with injuries before, though back ones had been less common in his days where he would travel the multiverse.

Ford unscrewed the cap on the hydrogen peroxide and took a cotton ball, being quick to apply liquid to the cotten ball. He brought the cotton ball up towards his back, hesitantly placing it atop the wound. He hissed and tossed his head back, letting out a cry of pain at the sting. He grasped the counter tighter as he applied the cotton ball to his healing wound a second time. He bit his lip and groaned, furrowing his brows. He got a fresh cotton ball to replace the original that was now coated with blood and couldn't stop the painful groan that escaped him.

Fiddleford was walking by when he heard the pain-filled cry and labored breathing. He stopped and raised an eyebrow, wondering if he should speak. McGucket cringed when he heard Ford shout a swear.

Fidds cautiously knocked on the door. "S-Stanford?" He began in a hesitant manner. "Are ye' alright?"

Ford tried to control his shaky breath enough to respond. He sighed before speaking._ "Yes, yes. Everything's fine." _He tried to assure. Fiddleford could see past his obvious lie and frowned.

"Did ye' hurt yerself?" Fiddleford proceeded to question.

_"No,"_ Ford replied, scrubbing off some excess blood at the sides of his wound that had dried on his skin.

McGucket frowned. "I-I'm not sure if I believe ye'." He said in a hesitant manner once more. He heard a low growl from Ford and took a step back.

_"If you want the truth, Fiddleford, I got stabbed by some young boy in the gift shop." _Ford said with an eye roll. How pathetic those words sounded coming out of his mouth.

Fiddleford hissed. "Ouch." He muttered. "Do ye' need help?" He asked. "I-I would be glad to assist if ye'-"

_"No!" _Ford shouted suddenly. Fiddleford was taken aback by the sudden shout and flinched. Ford recognized his tone and frowned. _"Thank you, but I'll be fine handling it on my own." _He said.

McGucket hummed. "Alright, Stanford." He said before proceeding to walk away. He wasn't sure what to think of the situation. As much as he wanted to help his friend, he knew that Ford would prefer to be left alone with treating his injuries himself.

About an hour later, Fiddleford put his hands in his pockets and walked out the back door, standing on the porch and looking outside. Oh, how he missed nature. When he had lost his sanity, he had never taken time to appreciate the world around him. The grass, the tree's, the sweet Oregon smell, and the bushes-

_Wait a minute. _Fiddleford thought to himself. He looked over towards the right and noticed a bush moving slightly. He narrowed his eyes in confusion, and saw a white fedora hat poking out the top of the bush's leaves.

"Hey, I-I think I recognize that hat..." McGucket muttered to himself as he proceeded to look at the bush. "No, i-it can't be!" He gasped with wide eyes. The man wearing the fedora looked up from the bush a bit more, and McGucket had to keep himself from squealing when he saw Deep Chris looking around behind the bush.

"My golly!" Fiddleford exclaimed, his eyes still widened. He had taken a liking for Sev'ral Timez years ago when the pop group had been just starting out. Even though he hadn't been the most sane at the time, even now he still liked Sev'ral Timez.

Deep Chris glanced over at McGucket and gave a wave to the human from the bush he was behind. Fiddleford gasped and took a step back, waving with a grin before bolting back inside.

Bill, who was in the living room laying uncomfortably atop the armrests of the couch, his head upside down, watched McGucket rush back into the shack. He raised an eyebrow, and was deciding whether or not to ask why the man seemed so oddly happy.

Stan beat Bill to the question, and watched McGucket from the doorframe of the kitchen. "What's wrong with _you?" _He asked, taking a sip of Pitt cola.

"Words... Not working from mouth!" McGucket panicked. He took three deep breaths in and out before collapsing to the floor.

"Is he dead?" Bill asked in a casual manner, turning himself around to sit up correctly.

"Hard ta' tell." Stan replied, looking down at the unconscious man and poking him with his foot. Stan got no response and shrugged. "Yup, he's probably dead."

"Great," Bill groaned with an eye roll. "Where we gonna hide the body?" He asked.

Stan shrugged. "I've got a few places in mind." He replied, walking away from the body and into the living room.

"Well if Fiddle-dee is dead, Sixer's gonna be pissed." Bill stated. "I say we say that Ford's crazy if he brings him up, and pretend that Fidds never existed to begin with." He proposed with a shrug. "That could work if they hadn't dated in the past." Stan pondered with a hum.

"Well I don't see you with any bright ideas!" Bill said with furrowed brows.

"You're the criminal mastermind here!" Stan shot back, putting his hands on his hips.

"Yeah? Well-" Bill began, pointing his finger in the air. He stopped and looked away. "Actually, that's fair." He muttered.

There was a moment of silence until the two flinched in unison, wide eyes as a pain-filled shout was heard from another room. Bill and Stan looked at each other with wide eyes.

"I thought he'd be done by now." Stan said, rubbing his eyes.

"I'll just..." Bill began, slowly inching away from the couch. "Check on him real quick." He said, taking another step away before running off towards the bathroom.

Bill rushed over and knocked on the door. "Sixer?" He addressed.

_"Ah- What?" _Ford asked, groaning as he tried to wrap the bandage around his injury.

"You sure you don't need help?" Bill asked.

_"I'm fine." _Ford stated in a manner that was the least bit convincing.

"Sure you are." Bill muttered with a huff. "I'm coming in." He stated.

_"Wh- N-No!" _Ford exclaimed suddenly, wide eyes. Bill tried twisting the door knob, only to realize that the door was locked. Ford gave a sigh of relief and abandoned the bandages, just throwing his turtleneck overtop him so that his torso was covered. He unlocked the door and opened it, glaring at the blonde.

"I specifically told you that I can do this myself." Ford stated.

Bill folded his arms. "Yeah, hence the reason you've been struggling in here for an hour." He grumbled back. He noticed Ford's annoyed and angered glance, causing Bill's facial features to soften a bit. "Look, I just wanted to check on you is all." He said in more of a mutter, his hands falling to his sides.

"I'm alright, you don't have to worry about me." Ford said, shutting the door. Bill extended an arm out to keep the door open and looked at Ford with a frown.

"Is there a specific reason you don't want help?" Bill asked.

Ford froze. His mouth opened slightly, and he closed it. He looked away before looking back at Bill, saying, "...No."

"You hesitated." Bill said, pointing a finger at the other.

"I... I did _not."_ Ford response with a scoff, looking away.

"You just did it again." Bill stated.

Ford glared. "Go away." He commanded.

"Oh, so there is a reason?" Bill asked. He gasped when Ford swung the door open, walking towards him with clenched fists. Bill looked at him with wide eyes when Ford gripped his shoulders tightly.

_"Dammit, _Bill!" Ford shot suddenly, his glare hardening. "Can't you just drop whatever you're thinking and move on from it?" He asked.

"No," Bill replied with a frown. "I'm just worried-"

"Well let it go." Ford commanded with a cold stare. Bill looked back at him with his mouth open slightly, unsure of why the man seemed so upset about it all. Ford broke the eye contact and gave a deep sigh before taking his hands off Bill's shoulders. He turned around and grabbed the supplies from the bathroom counter before walking away.

Bill stood there for a moment, speechless. He turned his head and looked beside him, watching Ford leave. His frown turned into a grin, and he crept up behind the scientist to follow him.

Ford walked off and noticed Fiddleford unconscious in the middle of the floor, though he chose not to question it. He was too deep in thought to ask his brother what had happened. Stan looked at Ford as he walked through the living room, and raised an eyebrow when he saw Bill creeping up behind the man.

Ford walked into the gift shop (Which was now closed for the day since no other customers had shown up after the scare from earlier.) And pressed the button on his watch to open the vending machine. Bill looked over on the gift shop floor to see Ford's lab coat still there. He was quick to grab it before slipping past the vending machine as Ford closed it with his watch, descending down the stairs and groaning at the pain in his back. Bill followed behind him silently.

When they reached the end of the stairs, Bill took the lab coat and tossed it into the air. Ford saw something above him and grabbed it before it could fall to the floor. Bill took this chance to sneak part Ford and into the elevator. Ford stood up straight, and begin to turn around.

"Hey." Bill said casually, his arms folded as he leaned against the elevator. Ford gave a shout of alarm and looked in the elevator with wide eyes, only to see Bill standing there.

Ford narrowed his eyes and walked inside the elevator. "What did I say about letting this go?" He asked in a stern manner.

"Letting _what _go, exactly?" Bill asked.

"Why don't you tell me?" Ford replied with a raised eyebrow.

Bill put an arm around Ford's shoulder and looked at him with a deadpan expression. "You've been acting strange today. Not in general, but because of this specifically." He said. In a mutter, he added, "Excuse me for being concerned."

Ford glanced at him with a frown. "It's not you." He assured. "There are just some things i'm not sure if you would be able to comprehend mentally without..." He continued, only to stop in hopes of finding a better way to say it.

Bill raised an eyebrow. "Without?" He pushed.

"Without jumping to conclusions." Ford finished.

Bill looked at him in even more confusion. The elevator opened, and Ford stepped out of it, the medical supplies still in his left hand. Bill hesitantly followed with a tilted head.

"Jumping to conclusions?" Bill repeated, still confused of why Ford would say that. "I don't understand." He said.

"It's... probably for the best that it stays that way." Ford said, walking towards his desk and placing the supplies down.

Bill narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Are you hiding something from me?" He asked.

Clearly, yes. Ford _was _hiding something. It was more than just a something. This was more of a feature; a permanent one. He didn't want Bill to see him any different were he to find out about the scars. Surely there wouldn't be any good reactions that would come from speaking out about it.

Ford adjusted his glasses and looked away. "W-Well, you see, I-It's a... a..." He stammered, tongue tied. He had done it now. What was the best option here?

Bill looked at him for a moment more. He noticed Ford's hesitancy and eventually scoffed. "You know what, nevermind." He began. "Keep your confusing little secret." He said, turning around. He looked behind him at Ford and said, "It's clear you don't want my help anyway." Before walking off.

Ford gave a faint frown. He hadn't meant to upset Bill, and he was sure that the blonde hadn't meant to upset _him, _either. Ford had been around Bill enough to know well that his curiosity easily got the best of him. Ford felt guilty now for getting mad at him previously when he had been upstairs. Regardless of the consequences that may come with it, he assumed that it would be best to finally come clean with Bill.

"Hold on," Ford said, looking over at the man. Bill stopped and turned around, looking at the scientist with folded arms. Ford took a few steps forward to stand in front of Bill and drew in a breath before speaking.

"The truth is, _yes, _I have been hiding something. For a very long time, actually..." Ford admitted, looking away for a moment before drawing his eyes back to Bill's gold ones. "And, well, I suppose you would have found out one way or another even if I didn't say anything." He continued.

"Well... what is it?" Bill asked hesitantly.

Ford scratched the back of his neck before speaking. "It's certainly something I know you wouldn't have expected." He said. "So... if I were to show you, I wouldn't want you to feel... uncomfortable."

Bill looked at Ford with a blank expression. "Hi, I'm Bill Cipher. Have we met?" He asked in a sarcastic manner.

"That's not-" Ford began.

"Sixer, _relax." _Bill said, draping his arms over the man's shoulders. "Whatever it is, you don't have to be so hesitant about it. I've never minded some weirdness, anyway. You should _know_ that, smartypants." He reminded.

Ford gave a slow nod. "I _do _know that." He replied. "Though it's still unsettling to think of bad outcomes." He said. Bill hummed and took his hands away from the others shoulders as Ford took a step back. Bill watched as the scientist looked down at his sweater in unsureness. Ford grabbed the bottom of his sweater, only to let go a moment later. Why was this so difficult? Bill noticed that the sweater was a big part of Ford's hesitancy. He walked up to the other and placed his hands atop the scientists hips.

"What are you doing?" Ford asked. Bill looked back at him and merely shrugged at the question. Without warning, Bill lifted part of the sweater up, revealing part of Ford's torso. Ford looked down at it, whereas Bill kept his eyes on the scientist. Ford sighed and grabbed his sweater, taking Bill's hands away from it and slipping the garment off his torso himself.

Bill then, for the first time, looked down at Ford's bare chest. He gasped at the sight of countless scars around this waist, torso and chest. There was one particularly large scar across Ford's chest that nearly looked like a lightning bolt, a bit of grey hair also present on his chest. Ford heard the gasp and saw Bill's taken aback expression. Not a good sign.

_"Oh, _Ford." Bill began, looking at the man with a mix of emotions. He placed his hands atop Ford's chest, looking up at the man and shaking his head. "I had no idea." He said.

Ford frowned and now felt ashamed for merely looking at Bill. "I'm sorry if this... displeases you." He said in a mutter.

Bill opened his mouth again and scoffed. "You kidding?" He asked. Bill looked down at the man's torso and grinned. "The only thing I'm displeased about is the fact that you kept this from me!" He said, running his hands along Ford's muscular arms, a gleam of admiration in his eyes.

"So... you're not disappointed? " Ford asked.

Bill kept his grin and pulled himself closer to Ford, planting a kiss atop the larger scar across Ford's chest. He looked up at the other man with a smile. "Not at all." He replied in admiration. He gave Ford's arm a squeeze. "The muscle is a good feature too." He added in a muttered tone.

Ford gave a hum. He hadn't expected this. He wasn't sure what sort of reaction he _had _been expecting, if any. He had been pleasantly surprised by the blondes reaction.

"Well, I couldn't have survived without some." Ford replied, giving an awkward chuckle.

Bill's glance at Ford turned to the floor, his grin fading to a frown quickly. He sighed. Ford didn't seem to notice and proceeded.

"Why, if I didn't improve my strength throughout my time in the multiverse, I would have been dead years ago." Ford added, hands on his hips with a smile as if he was telling it as a joke.

Bill's frown increased. He squinted his eyes shut and groaned before leaning forward and resting his forehead on Ford's chest.

"You could've died," Bill began. "And it would've been my fault..." He muttered with a sigh.

Ford looked down at the other and now noticed his frown as Bill nuzzled the side of his face close up to him. He now felt guilt for being careless with his words, and gently wrapped his arms around Bill's back.

"Even if something _had _happened to me, it would have been because I made a wrong move on something I had faced throughout those years." Ford tried to reason.

"It was my selfish desires of freedom that got you into that mess in the first place." Bill retorted in a grumble.

"I'm here now, aren't I?" Ford replied, raising an eyebrow. Bill looked up to see Ford looking back at him with an unreadable expression.

Bill nodded slowly and looked away once more. "Yeah, I guess so." He murmered.

"I'm sorry for keeping this from you for so long." Ford apologized.

"Eh, you had good reason to." Bill said with a shrug.

A moment of silence went between them. There wasn't noise in the lab, save their shallow breathing. It didn't take long for the silence to get awkward. Bill pulled away and put his hands on his hips, looking at the other once more.

"So," Bill began. "Ya' hiding any other secrets from me?" Bill asked with a laugh, giving Ford a joking smack on the back. He realized what he had done and bit his lip, cringing when Ford growled at the sudden pain, squinting his eyes shut.

"Whoops." Bill said. He looked down at his feet for a moment, then at the other. "Well uh... Do ya' need any help?" He asked.

Ford opened his eyes and hissed at the sting in his back. "Well, I had gotten the blood to stop rather quickly earlier since the injury had been thin. Though it would be best to cover up the injury and cleanse it a bit better for protection." He answered. He looked at Bill and gave a small smile. He no longer felt as though he needed to hide his unusual features from Bill. "And if you would like to help," Ford continued. "It would certainly be appreciated."

Bill grinned at this. "Sure thing, Fordsy." He said. "Whatever you need, I'm at your service." He added, walking past Ford and heading towards his desk where the scientist had placed the medical supplies.

"Your kind intentions with this are a bit unexpected." Ford said, following Bill towards the desk.

Bill rewrapped the bandage roll for the time being and shrugged. "Only for you, Sixer." He replied. Bill grabbed the chair and moved it beside Ford. "You should probably sit down." He advised. "This might take me a minute here... " Bill added, looking down at the supplies on the desk.

Ford complied with the suggestion and sat down in his chair, leaning forward slightly as to not press his back against the chair. He watched as Bill looked at the supplies. Ford gave him a quick understanding as of what to do as Bill prepared some cleanser.

* * *

About a half hour later as the sun was setting, Ergman Bratsman was inside of his car, driving towards a special location. It had been so long since he had been at this place, and he was eager to take control of the building once again. Come next week, he would no longer have to wait.

Bratsman parked his car in the parking lot by the building. He got out of his car and shut the door, walking over towards the entrance of the building. Memories of the previous years all came flooding back when he opened the doors. He had remembered the time when he had first genetically engineered the 'perfect boys' that had made him rich. He had always made sure that the boys were dense and unaware of most ordinary things in the outside world. Now that they were loose in the forest, it would be difficult to find them if they still roamed alive.

_There may be another solution. _Bratsman thought to himself._ Replacing the boys with new clones of themselves would be a piece of cake__!_

Bratsman looked around the room. The lobby of the building had creamy yellow walls, as well as wooden flooring. The man walked forward and turned to his right, walking down the hall towards another room. He grabbed hold of the doorknob and opened it when he reached the specific room he was looking for. The turned on the lights before stepping inside. In the room was a large, metal cage. To the left of Bratsman were the tubes of where the replacements of the five boys were meant to be located.

Ergman walked up to the tubes, only to look on in confusion at noticing that all five tubes were empty, and without their usual green fluid.

_How __weird. _Bratsman thought to himself. His brows furrowed slightly. _It l__ooks like __getting Sev'ral Timez to perform again will be much__harder than I originally thought. _He told himself, knowing now that he couldn't replace the members of the band with new, identical ones. How much easier it had been in the past when Bratsman had access to creating new clones of them whenever he pleased.

Ergman hummed. _It seems that I'll need to go searching around for the boys after I find someone who can fix these darn tubes. _He decided. The quicker he found the boys of Sev'ral Timez, the faster they would return to his 'care' and make Bratsman rich once more.

* * *

_"Ah, _n-not so tight." Ford instructed, wincing slightly as Bill tugged on the bandage around his torso to cover the wound.

"Whoops." Bill said. He stopped tugging and attempted to loosen the bandaging just a bit. He repositioned a part of the bandage slightly, straightening it out. "That better?" Bill asked.

"Yes, thank you." Ford said, looking down at the bandage. He gave a small smile, surprised at just how well Bill was doing with assisting him. "Where did you learn to wrap bandages so well?" Ford asked.

"Observation," Bill answered. "A few months back, Karen would always have to get some bandages and fix all the injuries I would get when she was at work." He informed.

Ford gave a slow nod. "Oh, yes," He said in a quieter tone than intended. "Your lover." He muttered, the words rolling off his tongue with distaste.

"Oh, I wouldn't call her that." Bill replied quickly with a rapid shake of his head. "She was a nice lady, sure, but there wasn't any love on my side of the relationship." He said. "And besides, we never went anything further than kissing no matter how much she ached for me." He added, walking over to where he faced Ford, getting down on a knee and adjusting the scientists bandage so that it was evened out better.

"A relationship without any forms of love?" Ford began to question, tilting his head to the side a bit. He certainly wasn't complaining; he wasn't even sure if Bill completely understood- or cared -about human intimacy. Regardless, Ford was confused on what Bill meant when he had said this. "How does that work?" Ford asked.

Bill laughed before speaking. "Oh, don't get me wrong here, Fordsy. She was _crazy _about me." He said. "A little too crazy for a human." He continued. "So, I used that feature to my advantage and got her to help with a lot of stuff." He said.

"So you used her? Ford asked with half-lidded eyes.

"Definitely." Bill responded with a nod of his head. "I mean, who wouldn't in that situation?" He asked. Bill saw Ford's slightly furrowed brows and gave another short laugh. "Eh, it doesn't matter. She's dead now." He said with a grin.

"Bill, you know that I care about you, but you worry me sometimes." Ford said.

Bill gave a sigh of relief. "Oh, good. I was afraid I was acting too human for me to handle." He replied. Bill stood up and put his hands on his hips, taking a step back and looking at Ford's bandage. "Did I do this right?" He asked.

Ford looked down at the bandage and gave a nod, looking up at the other. "Yes, it seems to be wrapped correctly." He said. "You did well." He praised.

"Well, of course I did!" Bill scoffed.

Ford reached for his sweater and found the bottom of the garment. "Don't get too cocky." He said before putting his sweater back on. "Say, do you have any idea what Fiddleford was doing on the floor?" Ford decided to ask. He figured that now was a better time to ask about such things.

Bill had wide eyes for a moment. He had forgotten about him. "Fiddleford?" He repeated, as if he were completely clueless in the situation. He gave a cheeky grin and asked, "Who's Fiddleford?"

**There's the end of this chapter! It would have been out three days ago, only for me to get sentence-block (A thing I made up; it's like writers block, except it's a particular sentence you aren't sure how to get past.) Ugh. Well, this is here now, and I hope you enjoyed.**

**Also, if anyone has fluff requests, you might want to throw them at me before... stuff happens. I can't say exactly, because that would be giving it away. I _will _say, however, that something bad is coming in this story, so if you have fluff ideas or a moment you want to see in the next chapter, please feel free to request it! **


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